Fugitive
by XxNeonShadowsxX
Summary: After being kidnapped by Cadmus, Wally and Dick are forced to become fugitives in order to survive and keep their loved ones safe, on the run from not only their kidnappers, but their friends and family as well. It's going to take all of their skill to get out of this and fix it...can they do it? Or will they lose everything?
1. Missing

**A/N **This is an idea I came up with at...one in the morning, I think. Somewhere around then. Either way, I developed it a bit further, and it kinda sparked my interest. So...yeah. I'm posting it. I feel like it's kinda dragging a bit, but no worries. It gets better. ^^ Set before Season 2, by the way. Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer **Last night, Robin came to me and announced I owned Young Justice. Then I woke up. ;)

~Aiva

* * *

The team stood numbly in the mission hall after receiving Batman's mission. "This is my fault," Aqualad murmured, pressing his forehead into his palm as if to get rid of a head ache. "I should have known something was wrong earlier."

"I-it's not your fault, Kaldur," M'gann sniffled, amber eyes tinged red with tears. She wiped away the salty drops with the back of her hand, but more continued to fall. Artemis stepped closer to the Martian, trying to offer some comfort. M'gann didn't waste any time before burying her face into Artemis's shoulder, her body shaking gently with quiet sobs.

Kid Flash paced around the room, outline beginning to blur slightly as he allowed his nervous impatience to get the best of him. His green eyes were angry, a sure sign something was wrong; Kid Flash could get annoyed, but it wasn't often he was furious. Robin was scowling as he tapped his holo-computer furiously, the white lenses of his mask narrowed into dangerous slits. "Don't worry, Miss M," Robin said, "We'll find him."

They shouldn't have lost him. Everyone was painfully aware of a certain absence in the room. Superboy had been irritated by something; no one was sure what, but probably something having to do with Superman, and the fact that the television was currently playing a monkey documentary M'gann was cooing over. Superboy had stomped out of the Cave to get some fresh air and clear his head. This wasn't unusual, and no one worried much as the first hour ticked away.

But with each passing hour, the team began to grow concerned. Superboy had never failed to come back; even if he came back even more furious than he had been when he left, he _always_ came back. But it was Robin who pointed out that he hadn't just returned to his room when no one was paying attention. Superboy was still gone, and it was nearing midnight.

Robin wasted no time in trying to contact Superboy, but a quick check on the comm link revealed that there was nothing but static from Supey's end. M'gann then tried to telepathically search for him. Tears filled her eyes as she announced she couldn't sense his presence anywhere. Though it was a school night, no one cared, lingering at the Cave. Wally immediately comforted the Martian as she tried not to cry, reminding her he might just be out of her range.

Robin pulled up some sort of program on his holo-computer, a large map of the globe coming up. He frowned as a string of computer code flew across the top of the screen, and he tapped a few keys into his glove. After a second or two, he made the dreaded announcement. "His signal is gone. I can't find him anywhere."

It was then the team _really _started to worry. As it neared one o' clock, Artemis and Wally were forced to zeta home, and Robin soon left with Batman as well. M'gann curled into a ball in her room, trying not to cry as she repeatedly scanned the area for any sign of Superboy. Nothing. He was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Morning came all too slowly, and it seemed to take far too long for Robin, Wally, and Artemis to return from school. A few seconds later, Batman called them into the mission room, explaining that they had found a lead on Superboy's disappearance; namely, the last signal that his tracker gave off. The signal had come from an abandoned Cadmus warehouse in the middle of nowhere in Nevada. Cadmus…needless to say, everyone grew far more worried when they had heard this. Which brought them to where they were now.

"What are we waiting for?" Kid Flash cried. He stopped pacing, but he was still vibrating, his outline blurred. "Let's go!"

"We can't rush into this," Robin responded. "This may be our only chance to find Superboy."

"But-" The speedster was cut off as Artemis pulled away from M'gann to whack the back of his head. "Hey!" he yelped, glowering at the archer.

"Get your head in the game, Baywatch," she snapped. Kid Flash would've responded, but a glance at M'gann's tear-streaked face stopped him. His vibrations slowed, though he was still fidgeting with nervous energy.

"M'gann, send the coordinates to the bio-ship. We will leave immediately," Kaldur said, already walking out the door. M'gann gave a shaky nod, closing her eyes briefly as she contacted the bio-ship. She then followed Kaldur, the rest of the team filing out. Though none of them would admit it, they were all afraid to some degree. They all knew Superboy hated the thought of ever going back to Cadmus, of ever being trapped in a pod again. The fact that they probably had played a hand in his kidnapping wasn't good at all.

Young Justice wasted no time in boarding the bio-ship, and M'gann began the flight to Nevada, pushing the bio-ship to its limits as she sped her way towards their only hope at finding Superboy. _Hold on, Conner, _she thought, _we're coming._

* * *

Finally, after what felt like forever (especially to Kid Flash) they reached the abandoned Cadmus facility. Aqualad was the first one off, gesturing for everyone to wait. _"Miss Martian, run a telepathic scan to check for anyone," _he instructed. M'gann immediately shut her eyes, placing her fingers to her temples as she extended her consciousness out to encompass the Cadmus grounds. Nothing. Her eyes slid open, and she glanced at the Atlantean. "Nothing," she informed. "No one's there."

She wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"His signal came from sublevel 13," Robin interrupted. "We should check there first."

Aqualad nodded in agreement. "Robin, go in ahead and deactivate any cameras." He turned to glance at the Boy Wonder, but he was already gone, just a fading laugh left behind.

Robin really did enjoy vanishing, and despite the situation, he couldn't help but give his trademark cackle as he disappeared, seemingly into thin air. He wasted no time before finding a small control panel located next to a steel door, most likely for the lock. He quickly hacked it, then used the connection to go through Cadmus's systems, setting the cameras on a loop and deactivating the motion sensors. "_We're good to go," _Robin informed telepathically, sneaking inside the building.

_"Good. Go on ahead; we will meet up with you in a few minutes," _Aqualad responded. He felt Robin's acknowledgement through the mental link, and Aqualad turned his attention back to the teammates surrounding him. They all were inside the building quickly, Kid Flash beginning to vibrate again. A gentle reminder from Aqualad stopped the nervous habit, and he grinned sheepishly as they headed down.

* * *

Robin made it to sublevel 13 in under a minute. He briefly considered waiting, but decided against it. Each second he spent waiting for the others to catch up was another second wasted; he might as well go on ahead. He snuck through the halls as only a Bat could, feet making no sound as the made contact with the tiled floor. His eyes darted back to the holo-computer in his glove to confirm his position, and he pushed open a door.

His first thought was _but M'gann said there was no one here! _Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he noticed a distinct lack of Superboy. There were, however, quite a few g-nomes and a few scientists as well. "Ah, Robin. We knew you'd show up," one scientist greeted, stepping forward. His blonde hair had been cut short, only around an inch long. Intelligent, cold brown eyes stared at the teenager, and a g-nome was perched on his shoulder.

Robin tensed, eyes narrowing as he fixed his rather terrifying glare on the scientist in front of him. "Where is Superboy?" he demanded, whipping out a birdarang.

"We knew he'd be perfect bait," the scientist commented, taking another step closer. Robin couldn't help but take a small step backwards as he attempted to contact the team. "Tsk, can't have any of that," the scientist scolded lightly. The g-nome's small horns glowed red for a brief second, and Robin was cut off from the mind-link.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Robin asked, voice taking on an edge that was scarily similar to Batman's.

"My name is Dr. Anthony Lawrence. As for the latter…you'll find out." The last few words were followed by a rather sinister look, and he snapped his fingers. Robin's mind immediately became fuzzy, darkness creeping around the edges of his vision. He gritted his teeth, trying to fight the mind-control.

He sank to the floor, birdarangs falling from his numb fingers. He was vaguely aware of a needle being poked into his skin before he succumbed to the darkness, sinking into oblivion.

* * *

M'gann suddenly let out a small gasp. "Guys, I think Robin's in trouble," she said suddenly, amber eyes widening as she pressed her fingers to her temples.

"What happened?" Kid Flash immediately demanded, worry for his best friend sweeping over him. First Superboy, now Robin? No, he wouldn't think like that. Robin would be fine…he _was _the Boy Wonder, after all.

"I-I'm not sure. I felt a brief flash of alarm and dread, but…now I can't sense him anymore."

"What?" Kid Flash demanded. "That's it; I'm going to help. Catch up with me later," he said determinedly.

"Wait, Baywatch!" Artemis shouted at the same time Aqualad said, "We need a plan!" Both shouts fell upon deaf ears, Kid Flash already gone in a blur of color.

* * *

Kid Flash raced through the hallways and stairwells, not bothering with an elevator. He was faster, anyway. He quickly reached sublevel 13, heart pounding loudly in his ears. "Rob?" he called out loudly, acting on impulse. No response, but he did here muffled voices coming from a room down the hallway. The ginger immediately raced towards it, pushing the door open as he skidded to a halt, heart skipping a beat at what he saw.

Robin was unconscious, being dragged into what looked like some sort of escape pod by two scientists. A third stood by, brown eyes appearing triumphant as he stared at the unconscious teenager. G-nomes were clustered by the scientist, a few of their horns glowing a gentle red. "Robin!" Kid Flash shouted.

"Subdue him," the scientist with blonde hair commanded. The g-nomes immediately turned to face Kid Flash, who felt his legs turn to jelly as he resisted the urge to pass out. He collapsed to the ground with a groan as he watched his best friend be dragged away, then he fell unconscious.

* * *

Kid Flash woke up when someone shook his shoulder, gently at first, then with growing strength. "Kid Flash," a familiar voice called. That was soon followed by, "Get up, Baywatch." Mustering his strength, the ginger opened his green eyes and sat up, letting out a soft moan as he did so, a headache throbbing behind his eyes. "What happened?" M'gann asked, face as pale as possible with the green color.

"R-robin is gone. They took him," Kid Flash answered, adrenaline coursing through him as he attempted to leap up, only to be brought back to earth by a sudden wave of nausea.

"What?" Artemis practically shouted, grip tightening on her bow. M'gann seemed to be fighting off a fresh round of tears; first her boyfriend, now Robin? How many more people would disappear?

"How did this happen?" Aqualad asked calmly, his voice firm.

"I'm not sure," Kid Flash answered. "I heard voices, so I ran in here. I saw a few g-nomes, and three scientists. They dragged Rob off, and the g-nomes knocked me out before I could do anything." He whacked himself in the head, letting out an angry sound. "It's my fault! I should have done something, I should've been able to save him! Now he's gone with Superboy and-"

"Stop," Aqualad interrupted. "It is not your fault. I should have noticed something was wrong."

"I-it isn't your fault either, Aqualad," M'gann said shakily between tears. Artemis immediately began trying to comfort the Martian girl again, though she wanted to do nothing except tear into a punching bag after she tore the world apart looking for both of them.

"What do we do now?" M'gann asked softly. Kid Flash managed to stand up, a determined, fierce look in his green eyes. "We go after him," he responded firmly.

"We must contact Batman first," Aqualad reminded him. Kid Flash's demeanor fell somewhat, but he nodded anyway. "Fine; but he better hurry. I'm not going to wait long."

* * *

"You mean to tell me you let him go in ahead, resulting in his capture?" Batman asked icily, his Batglare morphing into a full out DaddyBats glare. Even through the monitor screen, Aqualad swore the temperature dropped a few degrees. "We believed the building to be secure," he responded as calmly as possible, though he wasn't able to completely hide the tremor in his voice at the last word.

Batman's eyes narrowed further. "I expect a full mission report within the next ten minutes." With that, he ended the connection, turning to the computers in front of him. Immediately, he began typing, searching for Robin, his protégé, his _son. _

Cadmus was going to regret ever taking him.

* * *

**A/N **Small note; I created Dr. Anthony Lawrence...so, yeah. I guess I _do _own someone in this story after all. ^^ Anyway, I have a vague idea of where I want to go with this, but feel free to give suggestions if you have any. I may not use them, but I would appreciate the input. :D Oh, and small explanation; the reason M'gann didn't sense anyone in the building was because the g-nomes were blocking them out. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to fit that in, so I thought I should go ahead and explain it here. ^^

Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	2. Plan

**A/N **Alright, here's chapter two! ^^

**Disclaimer **Still don't own Young Justice.

~Aiva

* * *

Robin woke up, biting back the soft moan that threatened to slip out. His head was throbbing painfully with his heartbeat, each pulse sending a fresh spike of pain through his skull. For a brief moment, he wondered briefly where he was and what had happened. Everything was fuzzy, and it was surprisingly difficult to think. Then he remembered, and he let the moan slip out. Great, he had been kidnapped _again. _Batman was going to kill him for this, and that was only after getting a lecture from both him and Alfred about being more careful.

His eyes fluttered open, taking in his surroundings quickly. He was in a room that looked similar to the room they had first found Superboy in, trapped inside a pod. Of course. Robin fought the pounding in his head and his rising nausea, wondering why it was so hard to _think. _A vague, hazy memory came back; there had been a sharp prick in his arm as a needle was plunged into his skin, right before he passed out. Robin guessed that they had injected him with some kind of drug that was currently keeping his mind in a fog.

_Great, _he thought sarcastically, _this just keeps getting better and better. So not feeling the aster right now. _He winced as another spike of pain shot through his head, hands moving instinctually to grip the aching area. Unfortunately, his hands were currently bound to the back of the pod with sturdy metal cuffs. It was then Robin noticed something else; his gloves and belt were gone.

And so was his mask.

_Oh crap, _Robin thought, trying to keep a lid on his rising panic, _they know. They know who I am. Bruce is _really _going to kill me now. _He tried to ignore the immediate sick feeling that threatened to overwhelm him. _Stay whelmed, Grayson, _he reminded himself firmly. _You'll get out of this. You always do. _This time was different though. This time he had no gear, no plan b, and no Batman or team to back him up. He was trapped, and there was no way out.

This rather pessimistic train of thought was cut off as the scientist from earlier – Dr. Anthony Lawrence – walked in the room, a g-nome on his shoulder and a smug look on his face. Robin immediately scowled, blue eyes glaring fiercely at the man, blazing with a barely contained anger. Even drugged, he could manage a pretty impressive Batglare. However, the intensity of the teenager's stare did nothing to faze Dr. Anthony Lawrence, who continued to smirk in triumph. Robin's eyes narrowed further, and he wished for a moment he had heat vision.

"Wha' do you want?" Robin asked, voice slightly slurred. He frowned at that; darn that drug! He fought the mind-numbing effects, tugging against his restraints in vain.

"I thought that would have been obvious by now," the scientist responded, raising an eyebrow as he studied Robin with critical brown eyes. As if he had just confirmed something, he gave a small nod and stepped over to the control panel. "You, Richard. We want you."

Hero or not, that response sent chills down Robin's spine. "Why?" he managed to get out, tongue feeling thick inside of his mouth. He was beginning to feel really sick now, and he swallowed the bile that rose in his throat; this guy really did know his identity, which meant he probably knew Batman's. What else did this creep know?

"You're the perfect candidate for an…ah…_experiment," _he responded, brown eyes growing slightly colder as he tapped a few keys.

"What experiment?" Robin demanded, a brief surge of panic helping him to fight the effects of the drug a bit more.

"You'll find out."

Robin was beginning to really hate that response.

* * *

"Do you have any leads yet?" Wally immediately demanded when Batman zeta'd into the Cave. He was vibrating slightly in impatience, dark shadows clear underneath his once vibrant green eyes. He had gotten little sleep last night, his mind completely focused on Robin and Superboy, and the tortures they were probably going through. If they was still alive. _Don't think like that, _Wally immediately scolded himself silently. _They'll be okay. Superboy is practically indestructible, and Dick…well, he's _Robin_…he's always okay._

"Nothing solid," Batman responded, an edge entering his voice as he glanced warningly at the speedster. Wally immediately stilled, his tired green eyes dulling further. He was ready to race around the world, to tear it apart in order to find the person who was practically a little brother to him. Batman was taking too long…Wally couldn't wait forever. In fact, it felt like he couldn't wait another minute.

"He's been gone for _24 hours," _Wally stressed, hands beginning to fidget absently as he stared at the older vigilante. "You're _Batman_; you have to have found _something."_

"You think I don't know that?" Batman snapped, the white lenses of his cowl narrowing into a fierce glare. Wally shrunk back slightly, immediately remembering how close the two were. They were the Dynamic Duo, and Wally knew that Robin viewed Batman as a second father. Wally was certain Batman viewed Robin as a son too. "I'm searching, but I haven't found anything yet," he continued, tone a fraction less vehement.

As if sensing the speedster's thoughts to run and begin searching for Robin himself, Batman gave Wally a somewhat gentler look; if a look from the Dark Knight could be classified as such. Really, it just wasn't as frightening. "Be patient. We _will _find him." With that, Batman disappeared, cape blending in with the shadows as he walked off.

Wally collapsed on a nearby couch, burying his head in his hands as he tried to quell the headache that threatened to form. He squeezed his eyes shut. _I'm coming, Dick, _he thought, mind focusing on his best friend. _Just hold on. _

He hated waiting.

* * *

Two thin mechanical arms extended from the bottom of the pod, branching out into four prong type things that were already crackling with electricity, the exact same things he had been tortured with during his first "visit" to Cadmus. Robin would've flinched away, but the metal cuffs around his wrists kept him from doing so, holding him firmly in place. "Not feeling the aster," he breathed out before the button was pressed, and the needles sank into his chest. His muscles seized up, tensing painfully as the electric current swept through them. It had hurt the first time, but it felt much worse the second time.

He tried to imitate Batman's high pain tolerance for a total of three seconds, then gave up. He let out a pained hiss that soon turned into an agonized groan, which then turned into a tortured cry of pain. He squeezed his blue eyes shut tightly, face scrunching together as his body writhed uselessly. Dr. Anthony Lawrence adjusted a lever, the electricity increasing. Robin couldn't hold back a scream as agony raced through his body. If it weren't for the needles keeping him somewhat in place, his back would be arching with pain as his body burned.

Robin couldn't think, he couldn't move. The only thing that existed at the moment was this horrible, unbearable pain that coursed through his entire body, causing him to shake and cry out. His eyes filled with tears behind the closed lids, but he wouldn't allow them to fall; maybe he was able to imitate Batman's high pain tolerance a little. Instead, he just let out another sound of pain, the scream enough to make most humans feel sympathy and horror that anyone would have to endure this. Dr. Anthony Lawrence merely smiled, filled with the rush of success.

Robin wanted desperately to black out, to sink into the welcoming arms of an oblivion that would allow him an escape for just a little bit. But he wasn't able to pass out for some reason, instead forced to endure this paralyzing agony. It seemed to go on forever, each second dragging out into a minute, each minute turning into an hour. Finally, the pain withdrew as the electricity died down, the needle-tipped arms sinking back into their designated spots. Head still fuzzy from pain, Robin hung limply from his restraints, breathing heavy and rasping as he fought to get a decent breath.

Dr. Anthony Lawrence walked over to the pod, opening a small compartment and pulling out a vial filled with Robin's blood. He pulled out another vial, filled with blood that had been taken previously, while the teenager was still unconscious. He compared them silently for a minute or two, then gave a satisfied nod, placing both in his lab coat pocket. "That's enough progress for one day," he said, walking out of the room without sparing so much as a second glance at the boy he had so cruelly tortured.

When he was gone, Robin allowed his tears to fall.

* * *

Wally raised his head, thinking hard. "Nothing solid," Batman had said. Did that mean there was something un-solid? Even an illogical idea of a location to start looking would be great at the moment; thinking back to that one mission, Wally couldn't hold back a small grin. He was an expert at illogical thinking. But…any leads Batman had, even if they were vague guesses and hopes, would be worth looking at. He was called "the World's Greatest Detective" for a reason, after all.

Wally poked his head into the room Batman had walked into, noticing the dimmed computers. No Bats though. Cautiously but quickly, the speedster pulled up the old windows Batman had open, using a few codes Robin had taught him. Wally quickly found a map of the globe, at least a few red dots marking almost every continent, almost every country. Studying the locations, the ginger gave a small nod as he memorized it. It would be enough.

Wally closed the windows quickly, speeding into his room and changing rapidly into his uniform. Pulling his goggles down over his face, he didn't bother with the zeta tubes. He simply ran out of the Cave, becoming nothing but a blur as the world sped by around him. _I'm coming, Dick, _he repeated silently. _I'm coming._

* * *

Robin couldn't stop the tears; once one had trickled out, many had followed. So he just cried silently, his chest aching with stabbing pains and his head still throbbing. Sure, it wasn't as bad as when he'd been nearly beaten to death by Two Face, or nearly killed by Joker (neither of those particular incidents were ones he wanted to relive) but it still _hurt._ And then there was the fact that he was alone. _They'll come. My team will come. Bruce will find me. He always does, _Robin reminded himself, trying to pick up an optimistic outlook.

It didn't work.

He was aware that he was trembling slightly, but made no move to try and stop. Robin grit his teeth as he blinked back a fresh wave of tears. He was a hero. Heroes didn't cry. Heroes didn't need to be saved…they could save themselves, right? Then again, even heroes needed another hero every now and then. _Please hurry,_ Robin pleaded silently.

* * *

Wally, now Kid Flash, raced towards the first location at a reckless pace that was probably burning far too many calories. He ignored the sudden pangs of hunger, instead focused on his best friend, his little brother. He was going to make Cadmus regret ever taking him, and Superboy. After the first few searches revealed nothing, Kid Flash was forced to take a break, downing a few protein bars at a speed that would make Barry jealous. He cursed himself silently for being so weak, for not being able to keep going.

His "break" only lasted a few seconds longer before he was off and running again. When he was nearing his destination, his eyes narrowed, noticing the familiar Cadmus building, hidden by dense forest in the middle of nowhere. Really, it had been luck he had stumbled upon the place at all; it was only because he had gotten slightly off track he had been forced to go through this stupid forest in the first place. But that may have just led him to Robin and Superboy.

He didn't bother considering the idea that maybe, just maybe, they weren't there. Because they _were _there; he could feel it. Kid Flash studied the building, quick mind already beginning to formulate a plan.

* * *

**A/N **Two notes; first off, the reason Robin is acting a bit weak is a) torture, and b) he's drugged. So if he seems a bit ooc...remember the drugs. ;) Second, KF is focusing mainly on Robin because that's who he's closest to. Just thought I should clarify.

Oh, and I _will _be responding to reviews here, but only the anonymous ones, or those who have PMs deactivated this chapter. The rest will be responded to through PMs. ^^

**Mailbag**

Blackbelt: Thank you so much!

Meeeeee: Lol, this soon enough? ;)

Wowserz: No, I didn't decide against it; sorry about that. I just realized that that is probably a bit confusing. I'm just building up to it. ^^ And yeah...no one shall survive the wrath of DaddyBats! Mwauhahaha! *cough*

Anon123: Thanks! I'm glad you like it.

InvisibleNinja1234: I may add a few aspects, but I'm not sure as of right now. ;) I liked that episode too though. ^^


	3. Escape

**A/N **May I just say how amazing you guys are? I didn't expect to get this many reviews already, and all of them were so sweet and just made my day. :D Thank you so much; hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint. I'm beginning to build up to the main plot now too...

**Disclaimer **I wish I owned a redheaded speedster and an acrobatic ninja...but it's just a wish...dang it.

~Aiva

* * *

Okay…maybe it wasn't exactly a plan yet. More of…a strategy? Basically, it consisted of Kid Flash running in there before anyone could notice, then running out with Superboy and Robin, also before anyone could notice.

Yeah, he needed a plan.

Kid Flash frowned, studying the building with determined green eyes. He _would _find a way in, and he would rescue them…he had to. Suddenly, an idea sprang to mind, and Kid Flash reached for his cupboards. He pulled out two small chips triumphantly, the memory fresh and clear in his mind.

* * *

"_Truth or dare?"_

"_Uh….dare," Wally responded._

"_I dare you to hack into the Watchtower during a meeting and start playing Justin Bieber," Robin immediately said, his trademark smirk growing on his face._

"_What?" Wally cried, eyes widening in horror. Then he began to laugh as he imagined it, Robin quickly joining in. "But…I'm not a hacker," Wally pointed out._

_Robin pulled out two chips from his belt in response. "Here. These'll hack the Watchtower systems so you can go in and do it. One use only though."_

"_Why do I need two?" Wally asked as he took them, studying them with interested green eyes._

_"In case you mess up," Robin said without hesitation._

"_Hey!" Wally cried indignantly. "I'm not going to mess up!"_

"_Sure," Robin said, drawing out the word sarcastically. He laughed as Wally lunged at him, dodging easily. The two quickly began wrestling, which quickly morphed into a pillow war. Feathers were soon flying, Wally placing the chips carefully in his cupboards so he wouldn't lose them._

_"I'm going to get you, you crazy ninja!" Wally shouted, leaping forward to tackle Robin._

* * *

Kid Flash glanced at the small Cadmus building, hands clenching around the precious technology. He was ready.

He raced over to the building, quickly spotting a control panel next to the door. He shrugged; it looked important, at least. He pulled off the cover and, unsure of exactly what to do, stuck the chip on the mess of wires. Some of the wires sparked, then with a gentle whir, the lock was disengaged.

Kid Flash grinned; Robin was a genius. He raced inside, hoping that all cameras were offline and would be for a long while. If not…well, he wasn't going to finish that thought. Kid Flash raced quickly down the stairwell, stopping at a random floor and getting out. He quickly spotted the scientist he had seen kidnapping Robin – the same blonde hair, the same brown eyes. Kid Flash grinned; dumb luck.

He waited until the scientist had walked away fully until racing out of the door and down the hallway. He stopped outside the thick metal door. Frowning, he wondered how to open it; his question was answered when he stepped closer, the door opening automatically. _Cool, _Kid Flash couldn't help but think. What? It _was _pretty cool; it had that whole sci-fi vibe going on.

Those thoughts were soon erased as Kid Flash stepped into the room. His eyes widened and his breath caught as he saw the pod, and the small figure trapped inside of it. It was Robin, but…without the mask. Kid Flash stood frozen for a grand total of 10 seconds, which was fairly long in speedster terms. He then shook himself out of it, moving over to the control panel. Trying to imitate what Robin had done to free Superboy that first mission, Kid Flash was rewarded to see the pod slid open with a slight pneumatic hiss.

Robin – or would it be Dick now? – raised his head, blue eyes cracking open. Kid Flash felt his blood boil as he saw his best friend. Robin's skin was paler than normal, and dark shadows were already under his blue eyes, which had lost their luster and vibrancy, now dull and exhausted. "K…KF?" Robin managed to get out. Kid Flash noticed that his friend's words were slurred slightly, and his scowl deepened.

"Yeah. It's me," he assured the small teenager, who looked even smaller in the pod.

Robin gave a small smile. "Knew…you'd come," he mumbled.

"I'm going to release the cuffs now, okay?" Kid Flash said, concern clear in his voice. Robin nodded, and the ginger pressed the button. Robin immediately started to fall, attempting to catch himself but wincing when he tried.

Kid Flash's eyes widened slightly, and he raced over, catching his best friend before he hit the ground. "Thanks," Robin said softly, managing to stand up.

"No prob," he responded. "What are brothers for?" He paused, then continued. "We need to find Superboy. Can you do some hacking, find where he is?"

Robin shot him a look. "I'm drugged, not helpless." Kid Flash blinked; he was drugged? That would explain the slurred words and sluggish reactions. Robin started hacking immediately; though it was slower without his gloves, he could do it.

He soon closed out of the window. "He's on the floor above us. Hallway on the left," Robin informed. Kid Flash nodded, then picked him up.

"What are you doing?" Robin asked, struggling to get down.

"We don't have time to move slow; we're going to have to _run," _Kid Flash answered.

"Oh." Robin stopped struggling, though he still wasn't happy about being carried like a tired child. It didn't seem like he had much of a choice though, and honestly, walking required a lot of effort right now. Kid Flash sped off without wasting another second, the walls blurring into fuzzy shapes as he raced up the stairs and down the hall.

He finally skidded to a halt, and glanced down. He quickly noticed that Robin was looking slightly green, muttering incoherently under his breath as he glared at the speedster. "Not again," he declared.

"How are you getting out then?"

"…Darn it," Robin mumbled, landing on the floor lightly. The door slid open, and the two walked inside.

Superboy was locked inside yet another pod. _What is with Cadmus and those things? _Kid Flash wondered silently. Robin forced himself to walk the distance towards the control panel, easily freeing Superboy. As the pod slid open, the clone's eyes blinked open, a confused look on his face. Noticing his surroundings, his confusion was replaced by a look of horror and rage, and he leapt out of the pod quickly.

"What's going on?" he growled. He then winced; his head _hurt. _

"Kidnapped by Cadmus," Robin answered quickly. "Came to rescue you."

Superboy frowned; he didn't remember being kidnapped at all. The last thing he remembered was leaving the Cave, and then his memory turned foggy and unclear. "What are we waiting for then?" he snapped, still obviously upset over the whole pod thing. He barged out of the room, a scowl set firmly on his face.

Kid Flash glanced at Robin, and they soon followed. "Forgot how much I missed him," Kid Flash muttered lightly under his breath.

"I heard that," Superboy reminded him. Kid Flash groaned. They had made it up quite a few flights of stairs before Robin spoke up. "Uh, KF? How did you get in?"

"Remember those chips you gave me? For the Justin Bieber thing?" Kid Flash asked. Superboy gave the ginger a weird look, but didn't ask; he had learned it was best not to when it came to Flashes.

Robin tensed. "How long has it been since you used them?" he asked quickly, voice urgent.

"I don't know…ten minutes, maybe? Took a little while to find you, sneak in, sneak you out, then get Superboy," Kid Flash responded.

"Crap," Robin breathed. "Do you have the other one?"

"Yeah…why?"

"They're only temporary! They stop functioning around now!" Robin answered, snapping a little from pain and stress. Alarms started to blare then, and Robin groaned while Kid Flash immediately sped up.

Too late.

* * *

"Doctor, subjects 401 and 400 have left the pods," a scientist announced urgently, standing at his side. Dr. Anthony Lawrence frowned, hitting the alarms. "Send all the genomorphs after them; do _not_ let them escape. Do I make myself clear?" he ordered.

The scientist let out a nervous nod, walking away hastily and relaying the order.

* * *

Kid Flash's mind raced, trying to come up with a way to get out of this. He couldn't think of one. "Superboy, go on ahead. Smash a hole through a wall or something, get out of here. We'll be right behind you, okay?" Robin said. Superboy hesitated, but nodded. Robin looked deadly serious, and not in the mood to be argued with. Kid Flash immediately recognized what he was doing; Robin had done pretty much the same thing in that training simulation. He was going to get as many people out as he could.

Superboy went on ahead, leaving Robin and Kid Flash behind. "Rob, we have to go _now," _Kid Flash stressed, picking him up without wasting another breath.

"Lead them away from Superboy first," Robin instructed. By them, Kid Flash guessed he meant genomorphs.

"Rob, no, we-"

"With your speed, we're more likely to evade them. Superboy can't. We have to make sure at least one of us gets out," Robin interrupted. Kid Flash hesitated, then let out an angry breath.

"You better know what you're doing," he responded.

"I always do," Robin responded with a trace of his trademark smirk.

Kid Flash took comfort in the fact that Robin was at least beginning to act a bit more like himself; a few minutes ago, he had been far too quiet. "Let's go then."

They raced quickly through a few more flights of stairs; apparently, Superboy had just jumped the distance, because they only caught a brief glimpse of him before he ran off, hunting for an escape. "Genomorphs at 7 o' clock," Robin informed.

Kid Flash glanced back, grip instinctively tightening around his best friend; these freaks were _not _going to get his brother back. Kid Flash sucked in a breath, having to practically force himself to run straight at the things; sometimes, he really hated Robin's plans.

They're plan to distract lasted about three minutes. Robin finally convinced Kid Flash to let him fight, insisting that he was fine, but it was clear that he wasn't 100%. Of course, the mind control had to kick in too. Kid Flash was dimly aware of Robin collapsing beside him as he sank to his own knees, fighting the oppressive telepathic attack weakly. It didn't work for long, and Kid Flash soon passed out beside Robin.

* * *

Dr. Anthony Lawrence soon arrived. He frowned when he noticed that Superboy was missing; apparently, one had escaped after all. He shrugged it off; it didn't really matter anyway. His calculating gaze soon fell upon Kid Flash, interest sparking in their brown depths. While it wasn't part of the original plan, he could turn out to be just as useful as Robin would be...maybe.

"Excuse me? Dr. Lawrence?" a scientist interrupted timidly. "What should we do with them?"

"Put them in sublevel 32," he answered.

"Both of them?" the scientist checked, slightly confused. Last she remembered, there had only been the small, black-haired boy. Now they were adding a ginger?

"Yes," Dr. Anthony Lawrence confirmed. "Do it quickly," he added, prompting the scientist into action. He couldn't stop the sinister grin that flickered across his face; plans could be adjusted after all. There was no way he would fail.

* * *

**A/N **...Can anyone else see the Justin Bieber thing happening? XD Anyway, time for mailbag! (Well, sorta...most people respond to ALL of their reviews through mailbag...I just do anons and those who have PMs deactivated. Oh well. *shrug* I guess I'm just weird that way)

By the way, I need ideas for where the Cadmus facility is. All I have is in some random forest that's kind of hard to find. Any suggestions?

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Nightingale: I would say I would save him too...but then I remembered that technically, I'm the one torturing him, lol. I'm glad you like it, and thanks so much for the review!

InvisibleNinja1234: Thanks! I've always loved that best friend/brother relationship between the two. ^^


	4. Brothers

**A/N **I just realized I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger there...sorry 'bout that. ^^ I'm not sure if this one is any better, lol. It is longer though. Oh, and small note: **NONE OF THIS IS SLASH. **Just wanted to clarify before later chapters. It's only going to be brotherly moments, or best friend moments...I'll never, ever write slash. Yeah. *cough* Now that that's out of the way...hope you enjoy! :D

**Disclaimer **I had a weird dream in which I had Superboy's powers (I don't know why...Superboy isn't even my favorite character) but even then, I still didn't own a copyright to them. Yeah. I don't own Young Justice.

~Aiva

* * *

Kid Flash woke up first, a soft moan slipping out as his green eyes cracked open. It only took a second or two to remember what had happened, and adrenaline immediately coursed through him, breath catching as he took in his surroundings. Great. He was in a pod…again. Was this going to happen every time he came to Cadmus? Then again, he had only been twice…still. Ignoring the nausea rising up inside of him, he forced his head to move, glancing over at the pod next to him. He breathed a small sigh of relief when he recognized the small form trapped inside; at least they hadn't been separated. He hadn't lost Rob…then again, that meant they were _both _stuck here.

Kid Flash then noticed his cowl had been pulled off, his identity apparently blown as well. This just kept getting better and better, didn't it? Robin chose that moment to stir, shifting his position slightly as his breathing grew slightly faster. "Rob! You're awake," he called out unnecessarily. Robin winced as his friend's rather loud words sent a fresh wave of pain through his already aching head. "Not so loud, KF," he muttered, blue eyes blinking open.

"Sorry," Kid Flash responded, voice dropping considerably in volume.

"'S fine," Robin said, seeming to wake up a bit more. It helped that the drug had apparently worn off for the most part, leaving a fading headache behind. "Where's the rest of the team, though?" he asked, already guessing the answer, just needing a confirmation.

Kid Flash froze, staring at the floor awkwardly. "I, uh, kinda came alone."

Robin sighed. "And let me guess; you didn't tell anyone?"

"…No," he admitted sheepishly. "They just would have stopped me and-"

"And you didn't want to wait any longer?" Robin filled in.

Kid Flash grinned. "You know me so well," he noted, trying to lighten the mood some. Robin just let out a small groan, looking sideways at his best friend. "Unfortunately," he responded.

"Thanks, Rob," Kid Flash said sarcastically. Robin gave a small version of his normal cackle, causing Kid Flash's grin to grow considerably despite the situation. At least Robin was feeling more like himself.

"What exactly are they going to do to us?" Kid Flash asked, trying to fill the sudden silence. That just made the nervous crack in his voice more prominent though.

"Remember our first mission at Cadmus?"

"With the shocky-needle-thingies? Yeah. Why…oh. Dang it," Kid Flash said, quickly deducing what was going to happen.

"It hurts worse the second time," Robin supplied helpfully.

"You suck at making a guy feel better, you know that?" Kid Flash grumbled.

A few seconds passed in silence before Kid once again broke it. "…Wanna sing-" he started.

"We're not singing Pokémon theme songs again," Robin interrupted quickly. As Kid Flash opened his mouth, he continued. "Or "Call Me Maybe"."

"Well, what else are we supposed to do?" Kid Flash asked, disappointment flashing across his features.

"Try to escape?"

Kid Flash snorted. "Yeah, cause that worked out so well last time."

"…Touché."

"How did you find us anyway?" Robin asked, knowing Kid Flash would come up with other ideas unless he was distracted….that _never _ended well.

"Batmap and dumb luck," Kid immediately responded.

"Batmap? Does that mean Batman knows where we are?" Robin asked, perking up slightly.

"…Probably not. There were a lot of locations…I said there was also dumb luck involved," Kid Flash admitted.

"If I wasn't cuffed to a pod right now, I'd be face-palming."

"Shut up."

Of course, that's when the familiar scientist showed up. Robin's eyes immediately narrowed, and Kid Flash felt his blood boil, remembering the state Robin had been in last time he had been around this creep. He forced himself to sound as care-free and unperturbed as possible, though his mouth was dry and his heart was pounding. "What's up, Doc?" he immediately asked, doing a fairly decent impression of Bugs Bunny. Robin snorted slightly, tempted to roll his eyes. Leave it to Wally.

"Seriously, KF?" Robin muttered.

"Hey! Not my fault I don't know his name," Kid defended heatedly.

"My name, Wallace, is Dr. Anthony Lawrence," the scientist interrupted, moving back over to the control panel. Kid Flash managed not to flinch at the use of his real name. "It's Wally, you stalker," he corrected. "If you're going to use my secret ID, at least use it right."

"My apologies," Dr. Anthony Lawrence – or Doc, as he had now been dubbed – said smoothly. He adjusted a few levers on the control panel, then pressed that dreaded button. Robin tensed visibly, face hardening as he braced himself. Kid Flash, with less of an idea, stared at the protruding mechanical devices with a morbid curiosity.

He let out a small cry as the "shocky-needle-thingies" plunged into his chest, pain ripping through his body. He soon heard a similar sound coming from Robin, which hurt almost as badly as the electricity coursing through his body, or the needles stabbing into his flesh. Though he couldn't think clearly through the fog of pain, he was able to promise himself that he would kick this guy's butt for ever messing with his little brother.

It seemed like an eternity, made even worse by his speedster thinking, before it ended. Kid Flash let out a shaky sigh of relief as the horrible devices sank back into wherever they had come from, allowing himself to hang limply from the metal cuffs around his wrist. His body ached, especially around his chest, and the ginger knew it'd be a while before he felt 100% again, accelerated healing or not.

Like before, Dr. Anthony Lawrence removed a vial of blood from Robin's pod, then did the same to Kid Flash's. He studied them then gave a cryptic nod, walking briskly out of the room without so much as a word for commentary. Kid Flash grit his teeth, glancing over at Robin. "You okay?" he managed to get out, voice somewhat hoarse, probably from the screaming.

"What…do you think?" Robin responded, face pale as he sent a weak glare in Kid's direction.

"Sorry, bad question," Kid Flash admitted. Silence filled the air apart from their panting breaths as the two teenagers tried to recover some after their…ordeal. "What was that supposed to do anyway?" the speedster finally asked, unable to stay quiet for very long.

"I'm not sure," Robin responded with a small frown; obviously, that was bugging him. He tugged against his restraints uselessly, letting out a small hiss of frustration,

"We've got to get out of here," Kid Flash pointed out.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"You're welcome, Sergeant Sarcasm!"

"…I'm not going to dignify that with a response," Robin responded after a pause.

"But…you just responded," Kid Flash argued.

"KF, I'd almost prefer "Call Me Maybe" to this conversation." Robin, apparently, was not in a good mood. Then again, who could blame him? He had just been tortured with electric needles _twice_, and had just had his attempts at escape thwarted. And he was stuck with a bored speedster. While he was really glad to have his "brother" with him, mainly because he needed some sort of rock to cling to while being tortured, Wally was still a speedster. And that meant he had a very short attention span.

"Really?" Kid Flash asked, perking up slightly. He immediately started humming, then broke into the chorus.

_"Hey, I just met you,_

_And this is crazy._

_But here's my number,_

_So call me maybe!"_

Robin groaned, wishing he could plug his ears. That wasn't a song he needed stuck in his head, especially when it was _Wally _singing it. It was about as disturbing as the Joker. Hearing the groan, Kid Flash stopped. "It was your idea," he protested.

Robin groaned again.

* * *

Barry was concerned to say the least; it had gotten to the point where his pacing was beginning to wear out the carpet. Noticing the warning signs of smoke rising from the floor, Iris laid a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder. "Barry, just try to calm down," she said soothingly. Frustrated blue eyes met her gaze.

"I can't! Wally didn't go home, and Bats said that the last time he was seen was at the Cave. Then he ran off and I can't find him! His comm piece isn't working, and neither is his tracer, and…first Superboy disappeared, then Robin. What if Wally was kidnapped too?" Barry ran a hand through his blonde hair in frustration, only the cool hand of his wife keeping him from pacing again.

Iris pulled him into a hug, Barry's arms moving up to wrap around her in return. She rested her head against his chest, fighting her own concern in order to calm her husband down. "We'll find him," she said. Barry didn't respond, but he did appear to relax somewhat, though his blue eyes still held that edge of worry and concern.

_Where are you, Kid? _he asked silently.

* * *

Batman had been staring at the Batcomputer for a good three hours now. His cowl had been pulled down, and he tapped his fingers impatiently on the keyboard, which was the equivalent of someone else screaming in frustration. Robin had been gone for about two days now, and what made it worse was the fact that Kid Flash had apparently disappeared too. Batman frowned, once again running the tracer programs through his computer. Nothing.

Cadmus was going to explode in a fiery ball of protective wrath if he didn't find them soon. If he didn't find his little bird soon. Batman rubbed his forehead with one hand, allowing himself a sigh of frustration; two days. That number kept playing through his head, tormenting him. A lot could happen in two days.

Luckily, Batman was interrupted from this train of thought as a small buzz came from the comm piece in his ear. He pulled up his cowl, scowl hardening on his face as he lightly touched it with his fingers to activate it. "Batman?" the voice came from the other end. Recognizing it as Kaldur, Batman's scowl deepened further. This'd better be good.

"Who else?" he responded curtly. Kaldur paused, sensing the barely contained anger raging within the older vigilante. "Superboy has appeared at the Cave," he informed after a second, the hesitation in his voice soon fading as he delivered his report.

"I'm on my way," Batman said quickly, already moving. He cut the connection, heart pounding. He knew Aqualad would've mentioned it if Robin had also escaped, or if they had received word from Kid Flash. Yet he couldn't seem to quell that flutter of hope that rose up within him.

_I'm coming, son, _he thought firmly. Even if Superboy could offer no clues, he _would _find Cadmus and make them pay. They had stolen his bird, and they were going to regret it. If only he hadn't sworn off killing people…

* * *

"How much longer do you think we'll have to go through this?" Kid Flash asked a moment later, seriousness returning in full. That didn't normally happen with the speedster, but certain situations warranted it. This was one of them.

"I don't know. I would say not too much longer, but that's only if the League knows we're here. Assuming Superboy escaped, he could inform them of our location, but that's only if the g-nomes didn't install some sort of block in his brain to stop him from telling, or Miss M from finding out," Robin answered, letting out a heavy exhale. Exhaustion was clear in his words, along with an edge of pain.

"…You can be really pessimistic sometimes," Kid Flash noted.

"How else do you want me to be?" Robin snapped suddenly. "We're stuck in pods, I've been tortured twice while they do who knows what to us, and now you're stuck here getting tortured with me! There's no way out of this right now KF, and I'm scared!" The last part was blurted out, and he blinked as if he was just realizing what he had admitted.

He had never admitted to being scared like that before. It was different to say it when he was being comforted by Bruce in the manor after a particularly bad nightmare, or whispering it to Bruce's unconscious body as he lay in the medical bed. It wasn't a sign of weakness then; it was a sign of concern. It was even different when admitting it to KF, though that had happened a total of maybe two times. Three now.

Kid Flash's demeanor became much more serious, if possible, green eyes shining with concern as he stared at his best friend, his little brother. "Sorry," Robin mumbled. "I shouldn't have snapped."

"It's alright," Kid assured him, wishing for nothing more than to hug Robin and assure him things were okay. It was what brothers did, after all. …Stupid pod.

"No, it's not. It's just…there's no way out, KF. Even heroes need heroes sometimes," Robin said, echoing a previous thought of his, "but what if those heroes don't come?"

"They will come," Kid Flash said firmly. "And even if they don't, I'm here for you, okay?"

Robin sighed, hopeless blue eyes becoming a fraction brighter as he stared at the speedster. "Thanks," he whispered.

"No prob," Kid Flash responded without missing a beat. "What else are brothers for?"

* * *

**A/N **Yeah, Robin had a brief emotional breakdown...then again, can you really blame him? He's been tortured twice, the second time made even worse because he had to hear his best friend's screams as well...I feel like a bad person now, lol. I'll get over it...there's still tons more torture to come. ;) If any of you have torture ideas, I'm open to those. ^^ I still need ideas for a location too.

And by the way, I did make references to another fanfiction of mine; "Kidnapping Fun"...go check it out. ^^

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

InvisibleNinja1234: LOL, I didn't even think of that until you mentioned it...that's going to make me laugh for a good five minutes now. ^^


	5. Superboy

**A/N **Sorry this chapter's a bit shorter...I had a bit of writers' block, and I've been busy lately. Oh well; hope you enjoy anyway!

**Disclaimer **Bart keeps insisting that I don't own Young Justice in the future every time I ask. Darn.

~Aiva

* * *

Batman made it to the Cave in a time that would make Flash jealous…if Flash wasn't already there. Batman's eyes narrowed fractionally as he noticed the smoke rising up from the speedster's pacing feet, but he didn't comment. Flash could figure it out for himself when the floor caught on fire. "Team to the mission room," he called out, pressing a small button that made his voice carry throughout the Cave. He strode off, followed by an anxious Flash, which annoyed Batman more than he let on.

The Dark Knight waited for the Team to gather; they moved quickly, but it still felt far too long to the older vigilante. He had a son to find, after all. "Report," he ordered, glancing at Superboy. The clone looked slightly pale, and judging from the occasional wince, he was suffering from a headache. Superboy hesitated, then took a small step forward, causing Flash to still as well. Apparently unsure of what to say, he decided to simply start from the beginning.

"I left the Cave to cool off. I remember leaving…and then nothing. When I woke up, I was in a pod in Cadmus. Robin and Kid Flash-"

Flash sucked in a sharp breath at the mention of his nephew, tensing visibly.

"-freed me. While leaving, alarms started to go off. Robin ordered me to go ahead, saying that they would catch up. "They were following me, but we got separated soon after. I escaped, and tried to find Kid Flash and Robin. There was no sign of either of them, and I was forced to leave," Superboy summed up. He looked guilty, blue eyes fixed firmly on the floor as he shifted his weight subtly, a nervous habit. He hadn't wanted to leave…but it was either that or risk being captured again. And Robin had told him to go on ahead.

Batman's eyes narrowed as he nodded, analytical mind taking in every detail. "Where was the facility located?" he asked. His outward mask showed no signs of his pounding heart and raging desperation as he awaited the answer. Flash was handling the news a bit worse, head in his hands as his fears and suspicions were confirmed. Kid Flash had been captured by Cadmus, and now was stuck with Robin, enduring who knows what at the hands of those mad men.

"I…I don't know," Superboy admitted.

"How can you not know?" Flash exploded, unable to stay silent any longer. "You were there!" Normally, Flash wasn't the easiest to provoke, rather easy going. All of that changed, however, when Wally was in danger. He was unaware that he had started vibrating, caught up in the need to race out of there and start hunting for his nephew immediately. Batman glared at him, and the speedster stilled somewhat, though the same frustration was clear on his face.

Batman was burning with that same feeling; he just didn't show it. "Explain," he said, gesturing for Superboy to continue. It was Miss Martian who spoke though. "The genomorphs at Cadmus placed a mental block in his mind. It prevents him from remembering – or me finding out – the location," she explained. Flash tensed as Batman's eyes narrowed.

"Is there any way to remove the block?" Batman asked. Miss Martian hesitated, then shook her head. "No. It's too powerful and too advanced…even my uncle couldn't remove it," she replied, amber eyes glancing at the ground as she talked. Guilt was clear on her face that there was nothing she could do to help find her friends.

Batman nodded. "I expect a full report including _all details_ you can remember by tomorrow," he said curtly, then walked away, the zeta tube quickly transporting him back to Gotham. He resisted the urge to punch a hole in the wall, bitter frustration coursing through his veins. He growled as he heard a scream coming from nearby alleyway.

The Dark Knight quickly made his way over there, the white lenses of his cowl narrowing into dangerous slits as he glared at the thugs, who froze. The woman, clad in a tight-fitting red dress, took that opportunity to run, leaving Batman and the villains alone. Batman didn't bother pulling out batarangs, lunging towards them with just his fists.

They had picked the wrong day to attack.

* * *

"They _will _come," Kid Flash said after a moment of quiet. "Flash is overprotective enough, but Batman's even worse. They'll find us in no time."

"Yeah," Robin sighed, though his tone left it unclear whether he was actually convinced or not. Then he appeared to brighten some, that familiar smirk coming to his pale face. "You forgot about Red Arrow. He can be just as overprotective," he reminded.

"Remember that time we were all staying at your place, and we were kidnapped while he went out to get some more food?" Kid Flash added.

Robin gave a small version of his normal laugh. "Batman didn't even have time to show up," he said.

"They were in body casts for six months," Kid Flash remembered. "That was awesome."

"Not as awesome as that one time we were kidnapped," Robin responded.

"Ooh, the one where we sang Pokémon theme songs?" Kid Flash said with a grin.

"And the song that never ends?" Robin nodded. "That was asterous."

"And whelming," Kid Flash said.

"And turbing," Robin grinned, feeling slightly better now. Yeah, he was glad his brother was here.

Kid Flash relaxed slightly upon hearing the lighter note in his friend's voice; at least he could do _something. _Even if it was as small as making Robin smile, it was still a victory in this place. "I just wish I knew what they were doing to us," Kid Flash said with a small frown.

"I do too…all that jerk will say is "You'll find out"," Robin said, voice taking on a sarcastic note as he mocked the scientist.

"That guy is about as bad as that Dr. Desmond dude," Kid Flash observed.

Robin snorted. "Tell me about it."

* * *

Barry walked in the door, blue eyes tired and dull. Iris walked out of the kitchen, face concerned as she took in her husband's exhausted appearance. "They have him. Cadmus has Wally," he said. Iris stiffened, arms tightening around the speedster. They had suspected it, of course, but it still hurt to hear those words said out loud. Barry let out a heavy sigh, feeling as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around Iris in return.

"We'll find him, Barry," Iris repeated. Barry didn't mention how impossible that would be right now.

* * *

"Despite the pleasure you might find in mocking me, I'm afraid I'll have to interrupt," Dr. Anthony Lawrence broke in smoothly, walking in. The atmosphere in the room immediately darkened as both Robin and Kid Flash glared, stiffening at the sight of the scientist. "So, Doc, whatcha going to throw at us next?" the speedster asked lightly, his tone contrasting greatly with the irate look on his face.

"You'll-" he began, but was interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah," Robin groaned. "You'll find out. Could you _please _try to come up with something else? Even villains can show a bit of creativity every now and then."

Kid Flash couldn't help but laugh. "Nice, Rob," he snickered. Dr. Anthony Lawrence's gaze hardened even as a smug look formed on his face. "You're going to regret that," he noted lightly as he stepped over to the control panel.

Robin snorted. "Good luck with that," he responded. Of course, that only made the smug look grow, and Robin scowled as the scientist pressed a button. Robin braced himself, ready for the sadly familiar needles to come out and shock him. Instead, electricity merely circulated through the cuffs. He writhed as pain raced through his body, gritting his teeth as he struggled vainly to move away from the awful burning pain.

"Stop it!" Kid Flash shouted, voice rising above his friend's groans and cries. He pulled against his restraints in vain, trying desperately to break free and help.

"Why would I do that?" Dr. Anthony Lawrence asked coldly, a horribly pleased smile on his face. He was _enjoying _this, and that just made Kid Flash all the more determined to get out of this. He adjusted a few levers on the control panel and the electricity increased, Robin's screams ripping through the air.

"You're killing him!" Kid Flash shouted, green eyes wide and horrified as he stared Robin. "Stop it!"

"If you insist," Dr. Anthony Lawrence sighed. The electricity slowly died down, and Kid Flash's blood boiled as he heard the suppressed sobs in his friend's voice. "I swear, when I get out of here-" the speedster began, voice low and cold. He was cut off as gas filled his pod.

Kid Flash held his breath as he saw Robin go limp in his pod. Black spots began to dance in his vision, and he was forced to inhale. Dreading whatever was coming next, he sank reluctantly into oblivion.

* * *

Dr. Anthony Lawrence checked the vitals displayed. Giving a small nod to himself, he stepped back from the pods. A scientist walked into the room behind him, and he gestured towards her. She stepped forward nervously, clutching her clipboard to her chest. "Yes, Dr. Lawrence?" she asked carefully.

"Move them to unit 341," he instructed briskly, then walked away.

The woman stared at the two teenagers, a shiver of sympathy running through her. Cadmus employee or not, she wasn't necessarily evil, and she honestly pitied whoever had to deal with Dr. Lawrence…that guy was twisted. Cold, rational, and intelligent…but twisted. She shook off the feeling, moving quickly to relay the order. Sympathy or not, she did _not_ want to get on his bad side.

* * *

**A/N **So you got to see a bit more of DaddyBats and DaddyFlash in this one. They should be making bigger appearances in later chapters as well. ^^ Still need torture and location ideas!

Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	6. Electrocution

**A/N **I can't believe I have around 60 reviews already; I never expected so many people to like this. ^^ Thank you all so much! I'm going to be using some of the torture suggestions in the later chapters; thank you again for sending in so many! It really helped.

**Disclaimer** ...You would know if I owned Young Justice. Trust me.

~Aiva

* * *

Kid Flash woke up first, his body processing and expelling the drug quickly. He opened his green eyes groggily, ignoring the small wave of nausea that followed. He sat up, taking in his surroundings…not that there was much to take in. It was, quite simply, a metal cube. There was a barely visible outline of a door, and thin air vents near the top that even Robin wouldn't be able to escape through. There were two mats on the floor, most likely to sleep on, and fluorescent lights overhead lit the room with a small buzz.

The room was small, and Kid Flash had to fight the sudden panic that rose within him. He squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on slowing his racing heart. _Imagine you're somewhere else, _he reminded himself silently. He really, really hated small spaces. Once he had regained some semblance of composure, he opened his green eyes again. Robin was beside him, sprawled limply on the hard floor. Even unconscious, he frowned in pain.

Kid Flash shook his friend gently. "Rob…come on, Rob. Wake up," he urged. Robin let out a soft moan, blue eyes cracking open. He winced at the bright lights, raising a hand to shield his eyes slightly. He sat up with help from the speedster, wincing at the motion. He glanced around. "At least we're not in pods anymore," he noted dryly.

Kid Flash shivered. "Tell me about it," he mumbled.

"Though a metal cube isn't much better," Robin added, continuing to look around.

He then stood, gritting his teeth at the motion. He had been kept in a pod for who knows how long, and had been electrocuted _three _times, twice with needles embedded in his chest. Yeah, he was a bit sore. Slowly, he began stretching out his sore muscles, ending up doing a few flips. Kid Flash let out a small whistle. "Way to show off there," he commented. Robin stuck out his tongue, sitting back down.

The speedster glanced at his friend, concerned. Normally, there would've at least been some flippant remark or snappy comeback. "…You okay?" Kid Flash asked hesitantly. _Idiot, _he berated himself silently, _of course he's not okay! Stupid question._ Robin hesitated, then nodded. "I'm fine," he said, trying to sound convincing. To anyone else, it would have succeeded, but Kid Flash knew him better than that.

Quickly, he hugged his friend. Robin trembled slightly in his comforting embrace, burying his face in Kid Flash's shoulder. "It's alright," he assured. "It's okay."

Robin snorted. "Yeah, because being electrocuted three times and then stuck in a metal cube is everyone's definition of alright," he responded with his usual sarcasm. He pulled away, blue eyes focused on the ground. "Thanks," he mumbled.

Kid Flash grinned. "No problem, bro," he responded easily. He frowned as his stomach grumbled, opening up his cupboards. He pulled out the candy bar inside; at least Cadmus wasn't evil enough to take away his chocolate…that would just be wrong. An incoherent mumble of pleasure slipped out as Kid Flash crammed the thing into his mouth, swallowing it in under three seconds. Robin stared at him, then commented, "I think that's a new record."

Kid Flash grinned, then looked around. "They better plan on feeding us," he said.

"You just ate a candy bar."

"Metabolism!" the speedster reminded, poking himself in the stomach for emphasis. "One candy bar won't last long. I'm surprised I didn't get hungry before…"

Robin frowned, thinking that over. "Maybe they gave us nutrients in the pods?" he guessed with a shrug. At least that meant they wouldn't outright kill them…just, you know, kill them through electrocution or something. Great.

He then noticed something stored inside the cupboards; another chip. Moving quickly, Robin shut the compartment, mind already beginning to formulate a possible escape plan. All he needed was access to a computer, a lack of guards, and a way to the surface. "Don't torment me with your empty cupboards," he scowled, coming up with an excuse for the sake of any surveillance that could be in the cell. "I'm hungry too."

It was only because Kid Flash knew Robin so well he was able to see that comment as an excuse. But why…oh. Quickly remembering the extra hacker chip in his cupboard, the speedster was tempted to leap up in excitement. Robin was a genius. Instead, he merely smirked at the younger teenager, licking his lips slowly. "Too bad you didn't get any," he sighed, resting a hand on his stomach dramatically, "It was awesome."

Robin's scowl deepened, though a glint of amusement was clear in his blue eyes. He leapt at the ginger, tackling him easily. Somehow, he ended up perched on Kid Flash's shoulders, laughing as the speedster tried – in vain – to throw him off. Finally, he gave up, allowing the acrobat to sit there. He glanced up with amused green eyes. "You think they have cameras watching us?" he asked suddenly.

"Probably," Robin responded, a bit warily.

"Audio too?" Kid Flash asked. Robin nodded in confirmation, and Kid Flash gave an evil grin. "Why don't we-" he began, but was cut off.

"Way ahead of you," Robin interrupted, flipping off of Kid Flash. Simultaneously, they began singing, though how they both started singing the same song was a mystery.

"_He rocks in the tree tops all day long  
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and singing his song  
All the little birdies on Jaybird Street  
Love to hear the Robin go tweet, tweet, tweet_

_Rockin' Robin, rock, rock_  
_Rockin' Robin'_  
_Blow rockin' Robin_  
_'Cause we're really gonna rock tonight!"_

The two made it no farther before bursting into laughter. Kid Flash glanced around for a camera, standing up and mocking a bow. "That was for you, Doc!" he called out cheerfully. Robin laughed harder, the cackles soon mingling with moans of pain as it made his chest ache. He looked at Kid Flash, swallowing his giggles for a moment. "What should we do next?" he asked. The speedster began humming, then singing.

"_Blue streak speeds by  
Sonic the Hedgehog  
Too fast for the naked eye  
Sonic the Hedgehog_

_Sonic_  
_He can really move_  
_Sonic_  
_He's got an attitude_  
_Sonic_  
_He's the fastest thing alive!"_

Once again, they broke out into fits of laughter. "We need to rewrite that one," Kid Flash noted. Robin immediately began humming, while Kid Flash replaced himself in the lyrics.

"_Red streak speeds by,_

_Kid Flash the Speedster_

_Too fast for the naked eye,_

_Kid Flash the Speedster."_

Kid Flash slapped Robin a high five, a wide grin forming on his freckled face. "See?" he laughed, "Much better."

"At this rate, we'll get shocked again," Robin noted seriously, remembering the last time he had bothered to irritate Dr. Anthony Lawrence. He glanced at Kid Flash, a solemn expression returning to his face. Kid Flash hesitated, hugging his friend quickly. "I'm not going to let that happen," he promised. Robin pulled away, the serious expression fading somewhat to be replaced by his usual smirk. It wasn't long before the two were laughing again.

* * *

"It was a dead end," Bruce grumbled as Alfred began to bandage the one scrape he had managed to get. "No leads, no clues…nothing that will lead me to finding Richard." The man sighed, head dropping into his free hand. "I should've-"

"It's not your fault, Master Bruce," Alfred interrupted firmly.

"But-"

"No buts," he interrupted again, sending him a look that even Batman can't ignore. Bruce glanced at the butler wryly; it sounded almost as if he was talking to Dick.

"You'll find him," Alfred continued. "You haven't failed to yet, and I doubt you're going to start now." Bruce didn't comment, preferring to sit in silence as his thoughts continued to gravitate towards his son.

* * *

The door slid open with a slight hiss, revealing a female scientist. Immediately, they stopped laughing, glares replacing smiles as they stared at her. Kid Flash found himself moving unconsciously in front of Robin, as if to protect him. These people had already proven themselves to enjoy the pain of others, and Kid Flash wasn't about to let his little brother be the victim of that once more. "What do you want?" the speedster growled, green eyes abnormally furious.

She shrunk back slightly at the sheer force and rage of the glare, but stood her ground, clutching the clipboard tightly to her chest like a security blanket. "Subjects 401 and 402-"

"We have names," Robin pointed out.

"You are to report for testing in room 304," she continued, ignoring the interruption.

Kid Flash snorted. "Yeah, like we're going to show up," he said sarcastically, moving further in front of Robin. A genomorphs stepped into the room, horns glowing a gentle red. Kid Flash found himself suddenly frozen, unable to move, barely able to think. _Aw, crud, _he managed to groan mentally, _Mind control. _

Robin was similarly frozen behind him, a glare fixed firmly on his features that would make Batman proud. Kid Flash was unable to move away as something was placed around his neck, the pressure of the metal vaguely uncomfortable against his warm skin. As soon as it had been placed, Kid Flash was able to move again. Robin tugged at the metal ring, scowling. "Collars?" he griped, "Seriously?"

The first thing that came to Kid Flash's mind was inhibitor collars, but…Robin didn't have superpowers, so that wouldn't make any sense. "Report for testing," the scientist repeated, voice growing in strength.

"Why should we?" Kid Flash asked, hands dropping from the collar as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

In response, she pulled out a small remote from her lab coat pocket, pressing the red button on the front. Kid Flash dropped to the floor, curling up into a ball as pain coursed through him. His hands flew up to the collar, tugging at it uselessly as he tried to get it off. Electricity raced through his body, making his muscles convulse and tighten. "KF!" Robin shouted, blue eyes widening in horror as he stared at his friend. He lunged for the remote, but was stopped as the button was mashed again.

Kid Flash couldn't help but scream this time as the pain increased drastically. Robin froze, glaring at the scientist fiercely. After a second or two more, the scientist released the button. She was a shade paler and looked slightly shaky after doing that, but shook off whatever feelings of pity she might have been experiencing, simply gesturing for Kid Flash to stand.

The speedster was still curled into a tight ball on the floor, breath coming in shuddering gasps. It honestly felt like someone had microwaved his brain for twenty minutes, frozen it, then burned it again. Robin dropped to his side, helping him to move. "You okay, KF?" he asked, worry lacing his voice.

Kid Flash shot him a look. "Still a stupid question," he panted, sitting up. He stood shakily, trying to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Guess we'll "report for testing"," he muttered, shooting daggers at the scientist. Robin was doing the same, giving her a glare that was much worse than just a Batglare; it was practically on par with the DaddyBats glare, actually. "Just a warning though; I didn't study," Kid Flash added, humor returning.

Robin, though relieved that the speedster had mainly recovered, couldn't help but groan. "That one's a bit overused, KF," he pointed out.

"Hey, I just got my brain fried. I get to be corny," he defended.

"Testing!" the scientist cried, getting frustrated with their banter.

"Geez, lady, chill," Kid Flash said, raising his hands. "We're coming."

They followed the scientist, genomorphs trailing close behind them. Kid Flash tugged at his collar as he glanced at them, leaning close to Robin. "Those things are creeping me out," he murmured, repressing a shiver as he noticed the red eyes fixed firmly on them. Robin glanced back for a second, but turned around just as quickly, looking slightly amused at the obvious discomfort on the redhead's face.

"No talking!" the scientist barked.

Kid Flash huffed, frustration clear as he crossed his arms again. "Someone needs to relax," he whispered in a sing-song voice. In response, his collar gave him a small shock. "Ow!" he cried. "What is _with _you people and electrocution?"

"You should've stopped talking," Robin shrugged.

"…Shut up," he grumbled.

* * *

**A/N **...I have no idea where the random songs came from, but I ended up adding them anyway. I still need more ideas for a location of where the Cadmus facility is...it's important to upcoming chapters. If you could send some suggestions in, that would be great. :D

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Red: Thank you so much for all the ideas! I'm definitely going to use some of these in later chapters. :D

A Nanna Mouse: That made me laugh; it's true though. Let us all hope that Robin's pessimistic thoughts never come alive... Thank you so much for the review, and for going back and reviewing all of the previous chapters; I love it when people take the time to do that. ^^


	7. Found

**A/N **Yes, I finally give you a location! Thanks to everyone who sent in ideas; they were all amazing and really helpful. But I ended up picking the one Alex Skywalker sent in; the significance and reasoning were excellent. ^^ And for those who sent in torture ideas, I am going to use those, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. They will be used though; I got too many amazing ones to ignore them. ;) Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer **I feel bad for Wally and Dick if I owned Young Justice.

~Aiva

* * *

Kid Flash didn't want to walk into the room. He really didn't want to confront Dr. Anthony Lawrence. And he especially didn't want to be hooked up to…whatever that thing was. A treadmill on steroids, or something. The electrodes hanging off of it really didn't help the speedster's enthusiasm any either. "Yeah. I'm not going on that thing," he said, staring at it with wary green eyes. Robin didn't look any more excited, his face paler than normal as he stared at the examination table he had been faced with. The taser-like objects overhead really didn't make it look any more inviting.

Kid Flash felt his blood boil once again; despite the fact that Robin was excellent at concealing any emotion he didn't want seen, they were best friends. And the ginger could tell that he was scared, even if he wouldn't ever admit it again. Being electrocuted multiple times wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, made worse when it was at the hands of evil - probably mad to an extent - scientists. Dr. Anthony Lawrence glanced at them coldly, brown eyes practically drilling holes into the two. He didn't even bother commenting, instead holding up the remote that controlled the shock collars.

Even as the speedster held up his hands in submission, he huffed in frustration. "And I ask again; what is _with _you people and electrocution?" Kid Flash demanded. Of course, he dropped to the floor a second later as electricity coursed painfully through his body. A scream tore out of his throat as his hands tugged vainly against the collar. He gasped for breath as the torture ceased, glaring impressively at the scientist. "I…was going," he panted, frustration still clear in his ragged voice.

He screamed again as the collar was activated a second time, curling into a ball as tears stung his eyes. Dr. Anthony Lawrence released the button, smirking at the speedster in smug satisfaction. "Anything else to add, Wallace?" he asked coldly.

For probably the first time, the speedster didn't say anything.

Robin, who had dropped down to his brother's side as soon as he had been shocked, looked up to glare fiercely at the scientist. "Don't press that button again," he growled, voice low and threatening. The tone was unusual coming from him; he actually sounded like a furious Batman at the moment. "I'm fine, Rob," Kid Flash assured, though even a five-year-old would be able to tell that wasn't true. His freckles stood out clearly on his pale face, and he winced slightly whenever he moved too rapidly in a certain direction.

For some reason, that made Robin snap. The bird lunged at Dr. Anthony Lawrence, blue eyes determined as he lashed out. He actually managed to land a blow before he dropped to the ground, writhing as the collar shocked him. The scientist held the button down for longer than necessary, eye already beginning to bruise. "You'll regret that," he panted as he released the button.

Robin didn't comment, the triumphant look in his eyes answer enough. Kid Flash helped him stand, all the while continuing to glower at their captor. "Now that I've made my point," Dr. Lawrence said, "Begin testing."

Kid Flash and Robin glanced at each other, mutual understanding between them. They would do it, because honestly, it was better than being repeatedly tortured through electric collars. Robin glanced at the device awaiting him; …maybe electric collars weren't so bad after all. But he couldn't watch Kid Flash be tortured again; it was that that prompted him into compliance, even though he hated to do it with every fiber of his being.

It wasn't long before both were prepped for "testing", though exactly what this would entail wasn't yet clear. Kid Flash ignored the urge to tug at the electrodes taped to his skin, muscles tense and heart pounding as he stood on the treadmill-thingy. He wasn't exactly sure what to call it. The thing started up, and the speedster was forced to run, which wasn't all that bad, to be honest. It was just running, even if electrodes were taped to his skin.

Then the treadmill began to heat up, beginning to burn his feet through the shoes. "Ouch! Hot, hot, hot!" The speedster began stepping more rapidly. "Dude! What the heck?" He didn't really receive an answer, other than an increase in temperature. Robin began to scream behind him, and Kid Flash immediately attempted to turn around, only to be stopped by a sharp, but small, shock from the collar.

"Don't turn around," a scientist instructed, not even bothering to look up from the notes she was taking. Kid Flash's green eyes narrowed dangerously as he heard the hidden tears in Robin's screams. He slipped into super speed, managing to shoot off of the treadmill-thingy. He sucked in a breath as the electrodes ripped painfully off of his skin, but didn't stop until he had rammed himself into the machine torturing his brother in all but blood.

He ended up screaming himself as electricity ripped through him, muscles convulsing painfully as the collar activated. Robin was too busy trying to recuperate to help, and was still tied down anyway. Kid Flash was forced to endure the horrible pain for what felt like hours, but could have only been a minute at most, probably a bit less. He sucked in a ragged breath as he finally was able to uncurl himself, glancing over at Robin.

One or two burn marks singed his costume, and his face was beyond pale, blue eyes squeezed shut tightly as he shivered lightly. That gave the speedster the strength to stand. He scowled at the scientist before his gaze fell back upon Robin. He moved over to his best friend, undoing the straps that held him and helping the younger boy to sit up.

* * *

Bruce was exhausted, though he wouldn't admit it. Alfred was forced to give up on getting the man to rest; it was pointless. The butler had left the Batcave about an hour ago, leaving Bruce alone. His eyes, though tired, stared firmly at the screen. He wouldn't move or rest until he found Richard. The man wasn't able to keep himself from slumping forward though, eyes heavy with fatigue. The screen started to blink, a gentle red blip that informed him of a confirmed search.

Immediately, the man sat straight up, exhaustion gone as he pulled up the window. It took him only a second more before he was out of his chair, pulling on his cape as he rushed to the Batmobile. He had a lead, finally. He pressed the comm piece in his ear, activating it. "Barry. I have a lead," he informed, voice showing none of the emotion that he was currently feeling.

"You do? How? Where?" Barry asked, obviously wanting to race out to wherever it was.

Bruce didn't answer the first question; it was simple enough. He had programs constantly searching, one of them for any breaks in the sound barrier; namely, uses of super speed. Since both Wally and Dick had been captured by Cadmus, it was likely they were together. "Don't race off," Bruce warned.

"I won't!" Barry practically shouted, voice growing slightly tinny; he was beginning to vibrate. "Where is he?"

"Phoenicia, New York."

The only response he got was the unmistakable rush of wind as the speedster began to run. Bruce sighed; of course. "Flash, meet at the Cave," he ordered; they would go in with a plan, otherwise this entire mission could fail.

Bruce wasn't about to fail his son.

He pressed the comm piece again. "Team, I've found a lead on Robin and Kid Flash's locations. Report to the mission room for briefing."

* * *

"Sir, there's an unidentified aircraft approaching," a scientist informed. Dr. Anthony Lawrence cursed softly, striding over to Robin and Kid Flash as his thoughts raced. He had one thing left he could do that would make sure he wouldn't lose them, if it was the League, and if they did manage to find them. "If you so much as _look _at a member of the League, or one of your little teammates, I will personally make it my goal to destroy them." His hand grazed a pocket of his lab coat, a smirk flitting across his face. He stared at both of them. "Trust me; they _will _die."

Silence was heavy in the air for a moment as Kid Flash glared at him, and Robin struggled to recover. The younger boy finally slipped off of the table, seeming to have regained a good portion of his strength back. "Then trust me; if you even _think_ about hurting any of them, I will make it _my _goal to make sure you never see the light of another day," Robin growled, a dangerous look in his blue eyes that was rarely, if ever, seen.

An explosion then shook the building. Robin used the distraction to open Kid Flash's cupboards, slipping the chip into a control panel nearby. It sparked twice, and Robin entered a few keystrokes on the panel. He glanced at the speedster. "Let's go," he said. Kid Flash grinned and scooped him up. They were gone in a blur, leaving only a path of destruction behind.

They were on the surface floor in seconds, and Kid Flash has slowed noticeably to make talking easier. "If it's Bats and Flash up there…" the speedster began.

"We can't take the risk," Robin interrupted. "I was trained by Batman, and raised in Gotham; I can tell when someone's lying. He wasn't…we're going to have to hide out somewhere until we can figure all of this out." He wanted nothing more than to run right into Bruce's arms, but he couldn't risk losing another father. He just _couldn't. _

They were outside in another second, both of them taking a moment to appreciate the fresh air and the sunlight. They caught a glimpse of the bio-ship overhead before they sped away. Robin couldn't help but glance back, eyes searching desperately for Batman in that millisecond. He didn't see him, and turned around to face where they were going.

* * *

Flash was the first one in, which wasn't all that surprising. As soon as he heard that security was offline, he had made his way to the ground, racing into the building without a second thought. _Come on, Kid, _he thought, _where are you? _He had managed to search three floors before Batman entered the building. Flash continued to race into every room while Bats began hacking into the buildings systems, searching quickly for any information about Dick or Wally.

Finally, the speedster skidded to a halt beside the Dark Knight. "I can't find them, Bats!" he exclaimed, obviously trying hard not to slip into talking in super speed. Batman glared at him fiercely, looking up from the monitor for a brief second. "Did-"

"I searched everywhere! _Everywhere! _They're not here, Bats," Flash interrupted, beginning to vibrate once again. He ignored the glare that the man sent him, hands tightening into fists.

"They deleted all information in their systems," Batman finally growled.

"No one's here at all!" Flash continued, completely ignoring what had just been said. "There isn't-"

"Flash."

"What?"

"Stop talking," Batman said, voice low and more dangerous than normal. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the speedster's ramblings. His son was gone, and there were no leads as to where he was…_again. _

_"Miss Martian, open the bio-ship," _he said through the mental link.

"_Did you find Wally and Robin?" _she asked quickly, unable to help the question from slipping out.

"_I would've informed you if we had," _he responded coldly, barely controlled anger clear even as he ended the conversation.

M'gann winced at the harsh edge to Batman's voice, holding back all the questions that were bubbling up inside of her as she opened the bio-ship, allowing the two vigilantes to enter. The air immediately grew tense as everyone waited for Batman or Flash to say something; it was clear by now that Robin and Kid Flash weren't with them, but why? Where were they, then?

Batman didn't say anything, instead pulling up a program and typing furiously on the holographic keys. He looked up. "Programs reveal that Kid Flash used his super speed to run away, meaning that they most likely left of their own free will."

Flash froze in his pacing, glancing over at the screen. "What?"

"You heard me."

They were gone again.

* * *

**A/N **Hmm...not entirely happy with how this one came out, but I don't think it's bad enough for me to rewrite completely...what do you guys think? Oh, and sorry about the wait; I don't have any chapters written before-hand anymore, so updates are probably going to take a bit longer. Anyways, on to the mailbag!

**Mailbag**

Nightingale: ...You learned it the hard way? Lol, do I want to know? Then again, I've tortured poor Robin enough to be tortured by DaddyBats too...it probably doesn't help that I revealed his identity to Cadmus. ;)Anyways, thanks so much for the review!

A Nanna Mouse: Thanks for the idea! Lol, I'm probably going to end up making that a chapter now...that's going to be an interesting meeting. *gasp* Cadmus CandyBars? They should sell those...no joke. I'd go out and buy some. Thank you so much for the sweet words, and taking the time to review! :D


	8. Shoplifting

**A/N **If anyone has cover ideas, I'm open. ^^

**Disclaimer**Guess what? I own Young Justice now! ...Not really. But I totally got you for a second, right?

~Aiva

* * *

Robin closed his eyes as the land around them blurred into indistinct colors, gathering his thoughts. They would have to get civvies; they couldn't exactly be seen walking around in their hero uniforms without any masks. Even if Cadmus knew their identities, that didn't mean the whole world did. And they were more inconspicuous in street clothes as well. But Robin also needed to get another utility belt; good ol' paranoid Batman had made sure that there were some stored at specific locations should the need arise.

Unfortunately, those locations were in Gotham. Robin frowned, continuing to mull over the issue. They would have to race in, then race out again before Batman could have time to respond. But that could be dealt with later. Right now, they had to figure out where they were and get some clothes. "KF, circle around and see if we can find a town or something," Robin instructed. The speedster didn't respond, seemingly lost in thought himself, but he did alter their course.

They stopped near the fringes of town, carefully keeping themselves away from other people. Robin scanned the area with careful blue eyes. "We're in Phoenicia, New York," he announced, almost randomly. Kid Flash glanced at his friend, then slowly shook his head. He wasn't going to ask how he knew that just from looking at the place for a minute. "Great. What do we do now?" the speedster asked, fidgeting with a twig on the ground.

Robin glanced up at the darkening sky. "First, we need to get out of here," he said.

"Finally," Kid Flash grumbled, moving to pick up his friend again. Robin stopped him. "They can track us when you run," he explained, knowing fully well the scanners Batman had and would be using.

"Well, how else do we get out of here?" he asked, hands dropping to his sides as he let out a huff of frustration.

Robin raised his eyebrow. "We walk?" he suggested in a 'duh' tone.

"Oh…"

"We also need to get the collars off. We should be okay for a few minutes longer, but then they'll be able to activate them again," Robin added, pointing out how the chips only worked for a limited amount of time. He studied the metal ring around Kid Flash's neck carefully for a moment, then nodded. "I'm gonna need a wire cutter and the smallest Phillips head screwdriver you can find."

"Wait – there are screwdrivers named Phillip?" Kid Flash asked, sincerely confused.

Robin couldn't help but facepalm. "It's a type of screwdriver, KF."

"Oh…" the speedster said for the second time that day, voice trailing off awkwardly.

"They're the pointy ones with the x shape," Robin explained slowly.

"I'm not stupid," Kid Flash scowled, despite the evidence saying otherwise. He'd actually had plenty of experience with screwdrivers and building things, as well as messing with chemicals; it came from being a science nerd. Honestly, he had just suffered from a brief blonde moment, brought on from hunger. "Back in a flash!" With that, he disappeared in a blur.

Kid Flash didn't _want _to resort to shoplifting, but it didn't seem like he had much of a choice at the moment. He burst in the door of a hardware store and grabbed the things before anyone could react, then sped off again. He shook off the feeling of guilt that immediately started gnawing at him. _I'll pay them back later, _he assured his conscience.

He skidded to a halt next to Robin only ten seconds after he left. "Got the stuff!" he announced, dropping the two items on the ebony. Robin winced as the tools slammed into his head, shooting an indignant glare at the older boy. "Heh, sorry," Kid Flash said, plopping to the ground. Robin rolled his eyes even as a ghost of a smirk flitted across his face, picking up the screwdriver and starting to work on the electric collar. Kid Flash waited impatiently for what felt like hours until Robin was able to pull it off. The speedster grinned widely, enjoying the feeling of freedom that accompanied it.

"Once you're done celebrating, can you get mine off?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow. Kid Flash nodded, picking up the screwdriver. With a few instructions from Robin, he quickly got it off. The two boys glanced at the collars on the ground, then back at each other, wide grins spreading across both of their faces. "Toss them in a river?" Kid Flash asked, practically reading the younger boy's mind. Robin nodded, and Kid Flash's grin widened as he grabbed them and raced off.

"They're gone!" he announced cheerfully two seconds later.

"We need civvies now," Robin said, resisting the urge to join in the speedster's cheering.

"No! I'm not shoplifting _again!" _Kid Flash immediately broke in, face determined as he crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Would you rather the entire world discover your secret identity?" Robin asked.

"…Fine," Kid Flash grumbled. "But we're paying them back!"

"Dude, no worries. We'll give them money as soon as we can," he assured. Still muttering under his breath, Kid Flash reluctantly nodded. "Just race in, grab some clothes, and race back out. Easy," Robin continued. Ignoring the guilt that fluttered in his stomach _again, _Kid Flash was quickly back, arms laden down with clothes. Robin raised an eyebrow as he was handed the civvies. "Really, KF?" he asked.

"Hey, just be glad I didn't get the Flash hoodie too," the ginger grinned, pleased with his clothing choice. Robin just looked at his friend; he would never fully understand Flashes. "…I'm going to go change," he finally said, disappearing into the trees. He came back in a Flash t-shirt, dark skinny jeans, and gray converse, Robin uniform folded up and held in his arms. Kid Flash had changed too, now wearing a light green shirt, blue-gray jeans, and off-white sneakers.

"If I have to wear a Flash t-shirt, why don't you have to wear a Batman t-shirt?" Robin asked, glancing at his friend. Kid Flash waved the question off. "Because Flash is cooler," he responded. Robin immediately froze before lunging at the redhead. Kid Flash was soon pinned on the ground, moaning slightly. _"Batman _taught me that," Robin said triumphantly, sitting on top of his friend.

Kid Flash pushed him off, brushing some loose dirt out of his fiery hair. He silently scolded himself for his stupidity; _never_ insult the Bat.

"So…what now, Rob?" Kid Flash asked.

"Dick," the ebony corrected, gesturing to his civvies. "And we need to find a ride. And we're _not _hitch-hiking," he added, interrupting whatever the redhead was going to say next.

Wally scowled. "I was going to say a train," he said.

Dick nodded slowly. "We're going to have to sneak on though," he said.

"Come on!" Wally burst out. "You were adopted by a billionaire! Just stop by an ATM or something!"

"Bruce is going to be looking for signs of Dick _and_ Robin, Wally," Dick explained. "I can't just get money from "an ATM or something"."

Wally groaned. "Great. We're turning into criminals now."

"Would it make you feel better if I knocked you out and dragged you onto the train?" Dick asked, half-joking.

"Yes," Wally said, dead serious. Dick stared at his friend before shaking his head slowly.

"Sometimes I worry about you," he stated.

"You asked!" Wally defended.

"It was a rhetorical question!"

"You should've said that."

"…Start walking, Wally."

* * *

"I'm tracing their signal now," Batman continued, not glancing away from the screen. Flash had started pacing, making Miss Martian wince. "Uh, Flash?" she interrupted politely. "You're burning her." She gestured to the bio-ship floor, making the speedster look down. He immediately noticed the smoke rising from his boots. "Sorry," he muttered. It only took him a few minutes before he started pacing again.

"Flash?" the Martian spoke up. "You're…uh, you're doing it again."

"Sorry," Flash repeated, sitting down next to Batman in order to stop the nervous habit. The Dark Knight glared at the speedster, not pleased by the seating arrangement. He returned to the monitor after a few seconds, the speedster a few shades paler from the fierce look. Of course, Flash _had _to start vibrating then.

"Do I need to sedate you?" Batman snapped, whirling around with a barely contained fury.

"Yes," Superboy grumbled, who had noticed every time his girlfriend had winced as the bio-ship was burned by friction.

"Hey!" Flash yelped indignantly, though he stopped vibrating.

They reached the area in around ten minutes, but by then, Robin and Kid Flash were already gone. Batman glanced at the scanners again; no sign of super speed.

Okay, maybe now wasn't the right time, but he couldn't help but feel a flicker of pride; that was the paranoid, careful boy he had trained. That flicker of pride, however, was buried under multiple layers of frustration and a protective paternal instinct that only Dick could fully bring out.

"Where are they?" Flash demanded, surveying the land as if that would yield any answers.

"Obviously, not here," Batman growled, the temperature around him seeming to actually drop a few degrees. He was furious, and Flash was smart enough to shut up. There was silence as they flew back to Mount Justice; there was nothing left to search for. Robin was smart enough to have covered any traces. Batman was fuming, Flash was close to exploding, and the Team was filled with worry and varying levels of fear.

The worst part of it was the fact that there wasn't anything they could've done to stop it.

* * *

They had successfully snuck on the train, and were now hiding out with the luggage. It had gone much easier than expected, what with Dick's ninja skills and the occasional hidden use of Wally's speed. Neither one was exactly sure where the train was going, but both figured it didn't really matter; they just needed to get as far away as possible, as quickly as possible, all without attracting any unwanted attention.

"So, how long are we going to be on this thing again?" Wally asked once the locomotive started chugging its way down the tracks. Dick shrugged. "Not sure…we probably should've checked that before we got on," he admitted.

"Tell me about it," Wally grumbled, then brightened. "Hey! This guy packed snacks in his suitcase!" The sounds of munching filled the cart as Wally ate a bag of trail mix; why someone had packed that in their suitcase, he wasn't sure, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

Wally finished off the bag in a matter of seconds, leaving silence to fill the air. Dick felt his eyes begin to drift shut, and he stifled a yawn. "Wally?" he asked, exhaustion clear in his voice.

"Hmm?"

"Wake me up if guards come."

"No problem." Silence filled the air for another moment.

"And Wally?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't draw on my face."

Wally's freckled cheeks flushed a bright red; he had been thinking of finding a marker to do just that. "Sure thing," he responded, not about to let Dick know of his former plans. Dick leaned up against the speedster, eyes drifting shut once more. His breaths slowly evened out, and soft snuffling snores filled the air. An older brother instinct swirled within Wally as he glanced down at the younger boy, who was now snuggled comfortably into his chest, curled up into a ball as he slept.

"Night, Dickie," Wally whispered, his own eyes growing heavy as well, which wasn't all that surprising considering all that he had been through. He doubted anyone would come anyway, so he allowed himself to slip into a light sleep. It only took a minute or two before both boys were sound asleep, Dick still curled up adorably on top of Wally.

* * *

**A/N **And we have some brother fluff, 'cause I can't resist throwing some in there. ^^ Okay, I want to clarify two things, just for the sake of my peace of mind.

First, Wally was able to run into the store like that because it was dark and no one was really out anyways, and he was running to the point where no one would be able to see his face. And the collars were about to activate again, so he didn't really have time to wait for it to close or something.

Second, it took the bio-ship around ten minutes to get there because it was all the way across town. KF and Rob were able to disappear before their mentors arrived because they had left earlier, and had the advantage of super speed, so they were way ahead.

Sorry about rambling...oh! I do have a vague idea of where I want this to go, but if anyone has suggestions of what they would like to see happen, I'm completely open. :D So feel free to review with your ideas. Sorry again...this AN ended up being too long, didn't it? Oh well...on to the mailbag!

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Nightingale: Ah...I understand. But it's not really my fault...Dick's just fun to torture. ;) Thank you so much for the review!

OriginalMeTrueMe: Thank you so much! :D


	9. Train

**A/N **You got this much earlier than expected. ^^ It has some more fluff and a tiny bit of angst, too. Guys, I'm so close to 100 reviews; I bet we can get there with this chapter. :D Thanks to all who have reviewed thus far!

**Disclaimer **I own the idea of Mary, Sophie, and Grant...that's about it. I don't own Narnia, or the Tick, or Young Justice. Yet. ;)

~Aiva

* * *

Dick woke up first, mainly because someone's bag had fallen on his face. He shoved it off, muttering incoherently under his breath as he glared at the luggage. He sat up, rubbing his nose; what was _in _that thing? It weighed a ton! He glanced over at Wally, a small smirk forming on his face. The ginger's fiery hair was even messier than normal, and a steady stream of drool trickled out of his mouth, creating a small puddle near his chin. He had somehow ended up cuddling with a bag that looked like it was full of golf clubs, soft snores filling the cart.

"Arty…" Wally mumbled, hugging the bag closer. Dick couldn't help the snickers that threatened to break out, amusement shining in his blue eyes. If only he had a camera; this was priceless blackmail material. He nudged Wally with his elbow, prompting the speedster into letting out a loud snore before rolling over, his arm ended up being flung over Dick's face. Dick shoved the limb off before prodding the ginger again, though this time with more force. "Dude, stop making out with the bag and wake up," he said.

Wally continued to snore, lost in whatever Artemis-related dreams he was having. "I have bacon," Dick said, knowing any mention of food would immediately wake him. The speedster's green eyes shot open, and he jerked into a semi-sitting position. "Where's the bacon?" he asked, words still slurred by sleep. He yawned, seeming to wake up a bit more. "…You don't have bacon," he noticed, glaring as he pointed an accusatory finger at the younger boy.

"Nope," Dick responded, smirking at the grumpy look of disappointment that flashed across the ginger's face. Wally groaned, flopping back down. "How much longer are we going to be stuck on this thing?" he demanded, fidgeting with a zipper.

"How am I supposed to know?" Dick shrugged.

"Dude, you're a Bat! You're supposed to know everything!" Wally retorted. He opened his mouth to say more, but was cut off as Dick shoved a hand over his mouth. "Mmpphh!" Wally complained, trying to pull it away. Dick shot him a glare. "Shhh!" he hissed, glancing at the locked door that separated their cart from the others.

A gentle rattling noise was coming from it, accompanied by muffled curses. A soft jingle, and then the door opened. One of the crew let out a startled yell as he noticed the two boys sitting amidst the suitcases and bags. Both of them wore looks similar to having been found with their hand in the cookie jar. "Who are you?" he yelped, surprise evident on his face. His skin flushed red as his curious stare morphed into more of a glare. "What the heck are you doing in here?"

"We…uh, I left my iPod in my bag," Wally said, the excuse slightly pathetic to even him. "I really wanted to listen to some music, you know?"

Dick shot a look at his friend, shaking his head slowly. A five-year-old could see through that. "Right," the man said, clearly smarter that a five-year-old. "You're going to have to come with me."

Wally glanced at Dick, and mischievous look formed on both of their faces. The poor man, having no real idea of what was coming, shifted his weight nervously, face flushing an even deeper red. "Come on," he repeated, attempting to cover up his apprehension.

"For Narnia!" Wally shouted. "Attack!" The two leapt at the unfortunate man, bowling him over.

"Sorry!" Dick called over his shoulder as they raced through the train cars. Needless to say, many of the passengers were surprised, a few letting out screams as two teenagers ran past, Dick adding the occasional flip to avoid hitting people. One lady even went as far as to faint, and Wally skidded to a halt beside her anxiously, poking her cheek.

"Oh crap. Come on, lady," he urged, "Wake up!"

"Hey! Get away from my wife!" A large man, standing around 6'5, came up and shoved the ginger, glaring furiously. Wally's green eyes widened as he craned his head back to get a better look; tattoos curled around his well-muscled arms and up his neck, all leading to a very, very angry face. Wally quickly backed away, raising his hands. "Dude, I was just trying to help her wake up! I swear-"

_"You _made her pass out!" he yelled, face turning an ugly shade of red as his eyes narrowed.

"Not on purpose! All I did was run past the lady! Not my fault if she's a-"

"She's a what?" the man growled, looking downright furious now. Wally paled, gulping as he took another step back. Dick could easily hear the train security rushing towards them; Bat training came in handy during times like these. He grabbed his best friend's arm, dragging the ginger away from the angry man. "Less explaining, more running!"

"Sorry!" Wally yelped, wrenching his arm away and running beside the ebony. Dick skidded to a halt beside a partially open window, quickly wrenching it open the rest of the way. "Jump," he ordered.

"What? Dude, in case you haven't noticed, the train is _moving! _Does the term concussion mean _anything _to you?" Wally immediately shouted.

"No," Dick shot back, shoving the redhead towards the open window. Wally gave his friend a glare, then took a deep breath before jumping. "Spoon!" he shouted as gravity took control. Dick facepalmed before leaping out of the window next without any hesitation.

They ended up landing on a hill, Wally tumbling down it with barely any control, Dick curled up into a neat tuck as he rolled down. They finally reached the bottom, Dick stopping much, much more gracefully than the speedster. Wally sat up, spitting grass out of his mouth as he glared at the boy next to him. "Dick, I hate you," he grumbled.

Dick, however, was laughing, filled with the elation that came from free fall and flipping down a hill. And the expression on the ginger's face. "Spoon?" he repeated between laughs. "Really, Wally?"

Wally's face flushed to match his hair. "Uncle Barry watches it, okay?" he defended. "And I was bribed with popcorn! I can't help it if some of it rubs off on me."

Dick was still laughing; leave it to Wally to quote "the Tick" while jumping out of a train. And then there was the whole matter of Wally screaming out a Narnian battle cry…his friend had some serious issues. "Sure," he responded, disbelief coating the single, drawn-out syllable. Wally glowered, but ended up joining in Dick's laughter.

"So what now? Where are we?" Wally asked. "Ooh, is there a McDonald's nearby? I could go for a few Big Macs. Or a dozen Happy Meals or something. Oh! We-"

"I have no clue where we are, and we're NOT getting McDonalds; that stuff is just nasty," Dick added, suppressing the shiver that threatened to go down his spine.

Wally's mouth dropped open, green eyes widening comically. "How…how can you _say _that?" he gasped. He grabbed Dick's shoulders, shaking the boy as if trying to knock sense into his head. "Big Macs are amazing! And Happy Meals are a _classic!"_

"You only like Happy Meals because of the toys," Dick pointed out, ducking away from Wally.

"Sooooo?" Wally asked, not seeing his point. "They once gave away Pokémon toys! And Justice League plushies!"

Dick's face flushed slightly; he actually still had that Batman plushie. He shook it off. "We're not going to McDonalds," he repeated firmly, ignoring how the speedster's face fell, his lips forming a pleading pout. Dick sighed. "Okay," he reluctantly said, "How about we hit Burger King instead after we find out where we are?"

Wally's face lit up like he had just learned the world was giving away free food for a day. "Yes!" he cheered. "Thanks, Dick!" He hugged his best friend, a wide grin on his face, practically vibrating in excitement.

Dick was left wondering how the thirteen-year-old became the mature one.

* * *

M'gann was crying again, curled up on the green couch. Conner was sitting beside her, arm wrapped comfortingly around the Martian girl. Despite the gentle gesture, his face was set into a scowl, anger shining brightly in his blue eyes. Artemis was glaring furiously at the floor as if it was the source of all of her problems, leaning against a wall rigidly. Her body was tense, her hands clenched into tight fists as her gray eyes seemed to burn. Kaldur was still their calm, collected leader on the outside, but it didn't take a genius to see even he was shaken on the inside, silvery eyes distant as his hands reflexively tightened around his water-bearers.

Immediately after arriving at the Cave, Batman had stalked off, burning with a dark fury. No one wanted to be near him, honestly; they were afraid of the results. Flash was silent, which was unusual for the bright speedster; he mumbled a barely audible excuse before racing off, the name Iris appearing somewhere in the muffled sentence. Finally, Artemis couldn't take the heavy silence anymore. "I'm leaving," she said, an unintentional growl edging her words. She practically stomped over to the zeta tubes, bow clenched so tightly in her hands the others were surprised it didn't snap under the pressure.

M'gann sniffled again, not bothering to wipe the tears from her red-tinted eyes. She rested her head on Conner's shoulder, the clone's grip tightening around her instinctively. "I have duties to attend to in Atlantis as well," Kaldur said after a moment. No one was sure whether that was actually true or not, but they didn't make a move to stop the Atlantean from leaving.

M'gann and Conner were left alone, curled up on the green couch. "They'll come back, M'gann," Conner said after a moment, his voice low and still obviously angry, but somehow gentle and reassuring at the same time.

"Why would they run away like that?" M'gann asked softly, not really expecting an answer. Conner didn't offer one, though he knew fully well what Cadmus was capable of; whatever they had done to Robin and Kid Flash, it had apparently scared both to the point that they didn't want to come back. That in itself was enough to make the clone see red.

Robin and Kid Flash had been there to help him escape from Cadmus. Conner wanted to be able to do the same for them. "We'll find them," Conner assured after a heavy moment. "I promise."

M'gann nodded, wiping away the tears that lingered on her cheeks; she knew Conner couldn't actually promise that – at the moment, no one could, really. But she refused to accept what would happen if they weren't found; it wouldn't happen. It _couldn't _happen. "Thanks," she whispered.

They sat in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

Wally groaned for the umpteenth time. "Are we there yet?" he asked, sounding exactly like a whining toddler.

"Does it _look _like we're there?" Dick asked, losing patience fast.

"Well, how much longer?"

"I don't know!" Dick snapped, frustration clear. They had been walking for quite a few miles now, and there was still no sign of a town, or even a random shack that sometimes happened to be in the middle of nowhere.

As Wally opened his mouth again, Dick cut him off. "Wally, I swear if you say one more word…" he left the threat hanging, not bothering to finish. The speedster's imagination filled in the rest, and he quickly shut up. Another mile passed in silence. "Can we please hitch-hike?" Wally asked.

"No!" Dick answered hastily. "We'll end up murdered in a ditch or something!"

"Come on; you're the Boy Wonder, and I'm the Fastest Boy Alive. I'm pretty sure we can handle ourselves," Wally pointed out.

"…Fine," Dick conceded. "We'll hitch-hike. But if we die, I'm going to bring you back just so I can kill you again."

"As long as we don't have to walk anymore!" Wally agreed brightly. He could handle the distance easy; he ran laps around the world on a daily basis, after all. It was the fact that they were _walking _that made it so unbearable. A car, at least, would be a bit faster. They two arrived at a highway in a matter of minutes. Wally stuck his thumb out, green eyes peering curiously at every car while Dick used his best puppy-dog eyes, hoping that would get them sympathy or something. It worked.

A mini-van pulled up next to them, the window rolling down as a woman stuck her head out. She was quite pretty, with warm brown eyes and blonde-streaked hair. "Do you boys need a ride?" she asked warmly.

Wally barely kept himself from flirting with her; that probably wouldn't help their chances. Instead, he nodded eagerly, and was met by a friendly smile. "Hop on in, then," she invited. The ginger got in eagerly, Dick following.

He had been assessing the vehicle and the driver ever since she pulled up. The mini-van was slightly battered, and had one of those stickers on the back, of little stick people holding hands. The woman was pretty, but had that underlying tired look most mothers wore after long car rides with their children. A subtle peek through the window revealed two kids, a boy and a girl. The boy couldn't have been older than six, with messy blonde hair and brown eyes. The girl seemed to be closer to three, and was strapped into a booster seat, her dark hair tied into small pigtails. Her green eyes were wide and curious as she stared at the two teenagers.

"Where are you two heading?" she asked. Dick hesitated before deciding to be honest; it wouldn't hurt anything, anyway. "Gotham City."

"Well, that's not too far away," she said, the same smile still on her face.

"We goin' see Gramma!" the little girl spoke up excitedly, a wide grin on her face. Wally responded with a bright smile of his own. "Really?" he asked, prompting a cheerful nod. "That's awesome! I go visit my Grandma sometimes too."

The girl's eyes widened and she let out a small gasp. "Really?" she asked, her words slurring slightly. The mother up front laughed a little as she pulled back onto the highway, Dick now sitting shotgun and Wally crammed in between the two kids. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said suddenly. "I haven't introduced myself. I'm Mary; that's Sophie and Grant in the back."

"I'm Nathan," Dick responded, the lie slipping out easily, a smile of his own on his face. "And that's Andrew," he continued, gesturing towards Wally, who shook off his confusion in under a millisecond.

"Nice to meet you both," Mary said. "So, why are you two heading towards Gotham?"

"We're going up there to visit our step-dad - well, his dad," he added, looking back to refer to Wally. That would explain their difference in appearances, at least. "Our train kinda broke down though, and this genius here had the idea to walk the rest of the way instead of waiting."

"It seemed like a good idea!" Wally defended, easily joining in. "Besides, you agreed!"

Dick rolled his eyes good-naturedly, causing Mary to laugh again. "Anyway, we realized we wouldn't be getting there anytime soon, so we decided to see if we could catch a ride somewhere."

"An'rew!" Sophie demanded, accidentally leaving out the "d" as she tugged insistently on the ginger's messy hair.

"Yes?" Wally asked, poking her in the stomach for emphasis. She giggled in delight.

"I have action figures!" Grant announced proudly, cutting off whatever his sister had been about to say.

"Play!" Sophie agreed, taking a Wonder Woman action figure eagerly. Wally laughed and picked up a Flash one, while Grant held tightly to his Batman figure. "Batman's the best," he spoke up matter-of-factly. "Nuh uh!" Sophie disagreed, pigtails bobbing as she shook her head. "Her!" She pointed to Wonder Woman.

Wally let out a dramatic gasp. "Flash is the best," he argued.

"Prove it!" Grant said with a grin. Wally obliged, immediately beginning a story (that, actually, had been gained from the comic books in his room) about the time Flash had taken down Trickster. They were enthralled, gasping at some parts and laughing at others. They both cheered in excitement as Wally told them how Flash had beaten the villain.

"'Nother one!" Sophie demanded, a grin lighting up her face.

"How about the time Flash defeated Captain Boomerang?" Wally suggested, and was met by squeals of delight. Grinning, he launched into another story, inwardly snickering at his best friend's paranoia.

And Dick had thought they'd end up murdered in a ditch.

* * *

**A/N **Yeah, I just referenced Narnia _and _a cartoon from 1994. ;)

Hmm, I don't think there's much to explain here. I could be wrong though...oh! The reason they were somewhat close to Gotham was because they slept on the train, for who knows how long. So by the point they jumped off, they weren't too far away, just too far to continue walking all the way there. ;)

I think that's it though. I'm still taking suggestions for what you guys would like to see happen; please review with your suggestions! Now, on to the mailbag!

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Guest: I love their friendship too. ^^ Thanks for the review!

Nightingale: I always write about Dick having nightmares too; I don't even mean to do it. *sigh* Poor Dickie. Anyway, thanks so much for the review!


	10. Gotham

**A/N **This is really just a filler chapter...sorry about that. I'm getting to some more action soon though, no worries. ;) Just bear with me for now.

**Disclaimer **Sadly, I don't even own Justice League action figures. Or Burger King.

~Aiva

* * *

During the ride, Wally had continued to entertain the two by playing with action figures and telling stories about Flash. By the end, they were convinced that the Scarlet Speedster was the greatest hero who ever lived. "Whoa, wait a minute," Dick interrupted. "I still think Batman is best."

"You tell story!" Sophie nodded, clapping her hands cheerfully. Dick grinned, obliging the small girl. "What about when Batman fought Poison Ivy?" he suggested.

"Yeah!" Grant agreed, eyes wide as he moved to the edge of his seat to hear better.

By the end of the ride, Wally and Dick had started a story war, each trying to outdo the other and win the kids over. Grant and Sophie were engaged in a cheerful, though heated, debate about whether Flash or Batman was better.

"Thank you," Dick said, giving Mary a genuine smile.

"It was my pleasure," Mary responded. "You boys take care!"

"We will!" Wally assured, waving goodbye at Sophie and Grant, who now looked a bit upset.

"Momma! I want dem to stay!" Sophie pouted.

"Please?" Grant joined in.

Mary hesitated, glancing at the two teenagers. "Are you sure you don't need a place to stay a few days?" she asked, clearly offering her own home, wherever that was.

"Sorry, but we really need to find our dad…er, step-dad," Dick added, glancing at Wally. Sophie's eyes filled with tears as she stared pleadingly at the two. "B-but," she sniffled.

"Hey, don't cry," Wally interrupted, offering the small three-year-old a grin. "Be brave, like Flash, okay?"

"O-okay," Sophie nodded, wiping away the tears.

"Maybe we'll see each other later sometime," Dick suggested. At this, both Grant and Sophie's faces lit up.

"Thank you again!" Dick said as the kind family drove off. They were left near the edges of Gotham, which wasn't necessarily a great place to be, but better than some other areas. "Where now?" Wally asked, glancing at Dick. The younger shook himself out of his thoughts, peering around the city carefully. "Gotham Academy," he answered. Wally paused, cocking his head slightly. "And why are we going to your school?" he asked, clearly confused.

"It's the closest place where I have my stuff," Dick explained, not saying utility belt on purpose. It was best to never give anything away in Gotham; you never knew who was listening. "Oh," Wally said.

"We'll have to run though, before Bruce finds out we're here."

Wally nodded, and the two moved into an alleyway. After a quick glance that revealed it was abandoned, Wally grabbed his best friend's arm and slipped into super speed, dashing towards the prestigious school.

* * *

Batman wasn't called the World's Greatest Detective for nothing. Robin had been captured, meaning they had taken his weapons away. And since the kid had apparently run away of his own free will with Wally, that meant he would be looking to get another utility belt; Batman had drilled that into him at an early age – _always _have your belt with you. There were a few locations they could be stashed at, but most were on Batman's usual patrol routes, so Robin would try to avoid those if he could. That combined with a few other reasons led Batman to the assumption that he would go to Gotham Academy to get a spare belt.

It was an unusually quite night in Gotham, with only a few minor muggings that were taken care of in a matter of seconds. He didn't even have to reveal himself to take care of it. That meant Batman could be found perched near the school, in a spot that offered an excellent view of most entrances and exits. He sat there for what felt like hours, not really expecting to see anything, but unable to let go of the hope that he would.

His patience was rewarded a few minutes later, when a blur sped up to the school. Dick quickly hacked into the buildings systems, and the two dashed inside. Batman's eyes narrowed, and he immediately made his way inside after them. He would have to tread carefully, but he was determined to find Dick and get to the bottom of this. He wanted his son back.

* * *

Dick reached into the hiding spot, pulling out the yellow belt with a small sigh of relief. He buckled it on, then adjusted the Flash t-shirt over it, effectively hiding it. Dick felt immensely better now that he had his equipment; he didn't exactly have superpowers, after all. He froze suddenly, and Wally's eyes narrowed. "Batman is here," Dick whispered, causing Wally to whirl around.

"What? Where? How do you know?" the speedster asked, green eyes straining to see in the shadowy, dim light.

Batman stepped out of the shadows then, silently cursing the fact that he had been spotted before he had wanted to be found. Dick turned around, blue eyes wide and filled with terror. All three were frozen for a moment before Dick shook himself out of his daze. "Wally, we need to go!" he cried urgently. The ginger shook himself out of his surprise, nodding. He grabbed Dick's arm, and Batman took a step forward. "Dick, wait-" he began. He was cut off as they disappeared in a blur.

Batman scowled, letting out a stream of curses as he punched the wall, frustration burning inside of him. That one glimpse at his son had confirmed his suspicions that there was something else going on here. Dick had been relieved to see him for a millisecond, so he hadn't _wanted _to run. But then terror replaced it, as if Dick was scared of him; or something that would happen by being near him. Batman let out a low growl as he stormed off, looking like nothing more than a dark shadow that was gone as soon as it came.

No matter what it took, he _would _get his son back.

* * *

Dick's breath was ripped away from him as Wally began to run, putting miles between them and the Dark Knight in a matter of seconds. "Where are we going?" Wally asked.

"Do you need anything from Central?" Dick asked. Wally hesitated, then shook his head, knowing fully well that if he stepped foot in the city he wouldn't want to leave again. "Then…head to the nearest city. We'll catch another ride from there," Dick instructed, stumbling over the words at the beginning. It was quite obvious he was upset, and trying to speak over the rather loud wind running created didn't help any.

Wally immediately felt concern for his friend, though he suspected he knew what was wrong. He would feel the same if he saw Uncle Barry or Aunt Iris. Wally ended up stopping in another random alleyway. "Are we hitch-hiking again?" he asked, glancing at Dick, who was trembling slightly, the gentle tremors barely noticeable. Wally didn't waste time in wrapping his arms comfortingly around his best friend. "Shh, Dickie," he soothed. "It's alright."

Spotting a small alcove that was fairly out of the way, made even more so by the abandoned state of the street they were on, Wally made his way towards it. Dick sat on the concrete, Wally moving next to him. "I can't do this, Wally!" he blurted out, blinking furiously. It was then the speedster noticed his best friend was holding back tears, though he would never admit it. Wally embraced Dick yet again, rubbing his back. "I know it's hard," he said quietly. "Just stay whelmed, okay?"

Dick let out a small attempt at laughter as his word was used. He quickly grew serious again, sniffling slightly. "Seeing Bruce made me realize how much I just want to go home," he whispered. He had wanted nothing more than to dash into his adoptive father's arms and forget about this whole thing; but he knew he couldn't do that, not yet. That was what made it so difficult, honestly. He could handle being on the run from a bunch of villains, hiding out and being as anonymous as possible. It was different when he was running from Bruce; it was almost painful then.

"I want to go home too," Wally admitted. "But you know that we can't; we can't risk them dying. Tell you what; as soon as we kick the Doc's butt, I'll run as fast as I can to take you home. Okay?"

Dick nodded. "Thanks, Wally."

"No problem." The ginger's stomach growled then, a loud gurgling sound that made his cheeks turn a furious shade of red, eliciting a laugh out of Dick.

"I did promise we'd get Burger King," Dick remembered, and Wally grinned, pulling his friend up to his feet.

"Let's go then!" the speedster cried, a wide grin on his face. He practically dragged Dick all the way to the fast food restaurant. "Wait; we need money," Wally frowned. Dick pulled out a fat wad of cash. "Already taken care of," he said, a hint of his familiar smirk returning to his face.

"Yes!" Wally cheered, pushing the doors open. The bell let out a cheery jingle as they walked in, and the greasy, mouth-watering smells of burgers and fries filled Wally's nose immediately. His stomach growled even louder than before, and he stepped behind two people, joining the short line as his eyes stared eagerly at the menu.

Dick, glancing at the prices, spoke up. "No more than four meals," he instructed. "We need to save as much money as we can; we can't use an ATM too often, and we can't use the credit card."

Wally pouted for a second, but quickly got over it as he stepped up to the cashier, who was a pretty woman in her late teens, and far out of the speedster's league. That didn't stop Wally from trying though. "Hey, beautiful," he greeted, a flirtatious smile on his freckled face.

"Allie," she corrected bluntly. "Can I take your order?"

"Four double bacon cheeseburgers, three large sodas, and two things of fries," Wally ordered. Dick stepped in, adding his order, a chicken nugget meal. She nodded, informing them of their cost. "It'll be ready in just a minute," she said, trying to move on to the next customer, only to find there wasn't one. So Wally stepped closer. "You're welcome to join us for lunch," he said, winking at her. Dick rolled his eyes, shoving the ginger away as he handed her the money. "Ignore my friend," he said, shooting Wally a glare. That morphed into a charming smile that came from being the adoptive son of Bruce Wayne. "He has no idea how to treat a fine lady like yourself."

She actually smiled a little, more at the fact that he was small for his age, and frankly, looked adorable. "And you do?" she asked, raising a slender eyebrow. Dick nodded, actually making her giggle. "You're cute," she commented. Wally gaped at his friend, eyes wide and mouth hanging open comically; how a _thirteen-year-old _got the ladies was beyond him. Wally grabbed his friend's arm, grumbling under his breath as he moved towards a table to wait for their food. Dick cackled, thoroughly amused by the expression on the speedster's face.

"She thought I was cute," he informed, as if Wally hadn't heard. Wally glowered at him. "Only because she thought you were eight," he grumbled.

"Not my fault you fail at flirting," Dick shrugged.

"I do not fail!" Wally protested.

"You need to stick to making out with people's suitcases," Dick grinned. "Or…Artemis?"

Wally's face turned a bright red that rivaled his hair. "I don't like Artemis!" he insisted, fighting hard not to raise his voice.

"Suuuure," Dick said, drawing out the syllable doubtfully.

Wally was saved from the conversation as their order number was called out. He leapt out of the seat, returning a moment later, his arms laden with trays and cups. He set it down on the table, digging in eagerly. He let out incoherent mumbles of pleasure as he scarfed down the burgers in record time. Dick finished his chicken considerably slower. As Wally finished off the last bite, he put on his best puppy-dog eyes, staring at his friend for a good two minutes before Dick let out a heavy sigh, shoving what was left of his fries at the speedster. "Here," he gave in. Wally beamed, the fries gone in seconds.

Dick wiped his fingers on his jeans, standing up. Wally followed, tossing away their trash as they left the small fast food joint. "Where now?" Wally asked. Dick hesitated for a moment.

"We ran here, so we need to get out of town before Bruce follows…what's the closest city other than Gotham?" Dick asked. Wally shrugged. "I dunno," he said.

"Of course," Dick mumbled, sighing through his nose. "We can try to rent a car," he suggested.

"I don't have my license with me," Wally pointed out.

"Well, we're not hitch hiking," Dick stated firmly. They had gotten lucky that one time; with their luck, they really would end up murdered in a ditch if they tried again.

"We can try and find another train," Wally proposed. "But we're actually paying for it this time."

"…I guess," Dick agreed. Wally grinned; a train moved somewhat faster than a car, at least. Wally led the way, heading in a direction he hoped would lead them to some sort of transportation…maybe. Probably not. Dick followed, unable to keep himself from looking back in the direction where Gotham was.

* * *

**A/N **Hmmm...probably not my best work, but hopefully it's not _too_ horrible. Uh, not much to explain here, I think. I could be wrong though; if I am, feel free to ask me. ^^ On to the mailbag!

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

fanficfantasies: Crazy wack-job scientist...I like that, lol. ^^ The reason they don't go back is because, yeah, he threatened to kill the JL and YJ if Dick and Wally made contact with any of them, and they can't take that chance right now. Yeah, they only headed to Gotham for a utility belt...I think I answered that in this chapter though, lol. ^^ Anyway, thanks for the review!

Guest: Thanks!

Nightingale: I like all of the Rogues, lol; they're epic. ;) I feel guilty about the nightmares too...and everything else I make him go through. Poor Dick...he really can't catch a break in my fics, can he? D: Thanks for the review!


	11. Tranquilizer

**A/N **You guys are amazing. I mean, seriously; only 11 chapters, and we're already close to 120 reviews? I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this. :D

**Disclaimer **I don't own Young Justice, or IHOP.

~Aiva

* * *

"I think we're lost," Dick noted, glancing around the buildings with observant blue eyes. Wally frowned, letting out a small huff of air that blew some of the ginger hair out of his face. "We're _not _lost," he insisted, refusing to admit that they needed to ask for directions somewhere.

"Wally, we've walked down this street three times now."

"We have?" Wally asked, glancing around as he tried to spot something familiar. His eyes fell upon the battered nightclub sign that he was fairly certain they had passed before. Dang it. "We'll find something eventually," he continued, stubbornly holding on to the idea he could find his way out.

"Uh huh," Dick said doubtfully. "Well, while you try that, I'm going to look for a map."

"We don't need a map!" Wally maintained heatedly.

"Come on, Wally; we've been walking in circles for twenty minutes."

"So?" the speedster demanded, letting out another frustrated breath. He relaxed after a second, continuing to look around. "…Fine. We can get a map," he reluctantly agreed. Dick rolled his eyes at the ginger's obvious unwillingness, disappearing and returning a moment later with a map in his hands. "We need to turn left at the next intersection," he instructed, nodding his head towards the street coming up ahead.

Wally quickly noticed how bad the city looked there. "Dude, it looks like Gotham over there," he remarked, a barely noticeable edge of nervousness to his voice.

"We'll be fine then," Dick responded with a grin, walking towards the turn. Wally followed hesitantly, his senses on high alert; he didn't exactly have a Spider sense, but a hero did know when to trust his instincts. And his were practically screaming at him not to go there. Then again, Dick was determined to do just that, and there wasn't much Wally could do to change his mind.

"If we get mugged, it's your fault," he grumbled. Dick shrugged the comment off; he wasn't oblivious to the danger – just the opposite, in fact. And he was remaining vigilant and alert with each step; however, crossing through that section of town was the shortest way to the train station, and they had to move quickly before Bruce followed. Though it did slightly resemble some parts of Gotham, sadly enough.

Wally glanced around, green eyes studying the crumbling buildings curiously. Some were in better shape than others, but they all had at least a few cracks that spider webbed across the outside walls. "Dick?" Wally spoke up eventually, voice low and filled with a nervous urgency.

"Yeah?" Dick responded, voice automatically dropping to a soft murmur.

"There's some guy that's been following us for, like, five minutes now," Wally said, trying not to glance back. Being friends with a ninja had influenced the speedster quite a bit; he could handle situations much more subtly than he used to. Dick nodded, not even tensing as he continued to walk. "I've been watching him," he assured. Wally briefly wondered how that was even possible; Dick had never turned around once, and his eyes had remained looking ahead.

"Okay then…what do we do?"

"Nothing," Dick answered. "If he's just a stalker, we'll lose him once we hit a public place. If he's waiting to mug us, we'll kick his butt as soon as he makes a move."

"And what if he's working for Cadmus?" Wally asked, feeling slightly paranoid. Dick grinned at his friend. "Dude, no worries. We can handle this," he responded.

"Five bucks says he's a Cadmus employee," Wally said after a moment.

"Wally, do you even have five bucks?"

"…No," he admitted. Wally couldn't help himself from glancing back at the figure still tailing them, green eyes flitting back for just a second before he turned back around. "He's speeding up," he informed, unable to keep his heart from beating just a bit faster.

"Probably because you _turned around," _Dick pointed out, a hint of irritation edging his voice. He wasn't actually annoyed. He was just stressed; he was feeling every bit as paranoid as Wally was, he just wouldn't admit it. And although the odds were against it, Dick couldn't help but be worried by the possibility that the person _was_ working for Cadmus; he didn't exactly want to end up back there. Wally fidgeted with the bottom of his blue shirt, green eyes flitting around. "Can we run?" he asked, filled with a bubbling energy that was practically _begging _to be released.

Dick shook his head. "No. Actually, let him catch up to us."

Wally stared at his best friend. "Are you _insane? _You've lived in _Gotham;_ why the heck would you think it would be a good idea to let the creepy stalker dude _catch up to you?" _

"So we can figure out what he wants, and take him down if we have to!" Dick snapped back, though he still didn't raise his voice beyond normal conversation volume.

"If this goes wrong, you get to buy me lunch at IHOP," Wally said seriously.

"You got it," Dick said, now glancing back himself. The figure was steadily gaining on them, mostly concealed by a trench coat and a hat; Dick rolled his eyes. People could be so clichéd.

Dick decided to oblige their stalker, heading into an alleyway as if to throw off any followers. The move was juvenile and stupid, but it was supposed to be; Dick had to groan at what Batman would say though. He found himself fingering the yellow pouches of his utility belt as he slowed even further, which seemed to be driving Wally insane. "I get we want him to catch up with us, but do we really have to go so _slow?" _he asked, frustration lacing his words.

"Yes," Dick responded simply. The sound of a gun being pulled out filled the narrow space, and the two whirled around. Dick's eyes narrowed when he saw the gun; he hadn't expected anything else, really, but he hated having to deal with those weapons. It looked slightly off though, not like a normal gun. It clicked then. "Hey, Wally?" Dick spoke up, not bothering to address the figure in front of them.

"Yeah?"

"I think I may have to buy you IHOP."

* * *

"WHAT?" Roy shouted, grip tightening around the mug in his hand. It shattered, a thin stream of blood trickling from his hand as the broken glass dug into his palm. He dropped the remains angrily, wiping the crimson off onto his already dirty jeans. Kaldur stood in the Roy's apartment, struggling and failing to calm the archer down. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he demanded, glaring furiously at the Atlantean, who had been voted to go and tell the temperamental archer. Roy didn't give him a chance to respond, now pacing along one wall as his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides.

Fierce loyalty swirled within him; there was _no way _his two little brothers could just be gone like that. Kaldur had attempted to explain most of it to him, but wasn't certain how much the archer actually took in; the fact that he now had his bow out only contributed to the idea that he wasn't listening. Roy did, however, get the main gist; Dick and Wally had been kidnapped by Cadmus. By the time the Team arrived, the two were already gone, apparently of their own free will. Roy glared furiously at the worn carpet covering the ground; there had to be a reason for it.

Honestly, though, the archer didn't care about the reason. He was going after them, no matter what it took; they had been gone four days already. "Where was their last known location?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Batman and Flash already-" Kaldur began, but was cut off.

"Where is it?" Roy repeated, voice practically a growl.

"Phoenicia, New York."

Roy was gone before the Atlantean could say another word. He stalked out of his apartment, running ideas and locations through his mind. If Batman and Flash had already searched the lab, there was no point in going there. But there had to be _something _he could do.

Roy didn't grin, but his eyes took on a more determined look as the solution flickered into his mind. Even though he was a hero, he did have some…_connections_ to villain gossip; connections in the form of a certain assassin.

* * *

Normally, a statement like that would've made Wally's day; now it just made the speedster frown, which would seem unusual out of context. The figure continued to point the gun, but seeing that neither boy was going to make a move, they allowed it to drop a fraction as they shrugged off the thick trench coat, and pulled off the hat. Wally couldn't help it as his eyes widened, quickly noticing every detail about…her. The over-sized coat had hidden her athletic, toned frame. Short dark hair framed her pale face, and cold blue eyes studied them as she once again raised the gun.

Which, actually, wasn't a gun in the traditional sense. Sure, it shot things, but not bullets. Dick was fairly certain it shot small darts full of a tranquilizer, or a mild poison. Wally wasn't focused on that though, his mouth still handing open a bit. This probably wasn't the right time to be thinking about it…but that girl was _hot_. He shook himself out of his daze as Dick elbowed him sharply in the side, shooting him an irritated glance as if he had read his mind. Then again, Wally probably wasn't doing the best job of being subtle as he stared.

"Doc send you to drag us back?" Dick asked, raising one eyebrow questioningly. He didn't receive a reply, but her body language was answer enough. He glanced at Wally, who picked up on his intentions quickly, a grin settling onto his freckled face. Dick let out his signature cackle as he flipped towards her, Wally dashing around her madly. "It's clobbering time!" he shouted, making Dick pause in his laughter.

"Seriously, what is _with _you and the battle cries lately?" Dick asked, doing a double flip to avoid a dart and then slam into the woman's shoulder. She let out a soft cry, still managing to cling to the weapon. "Stop moving!" she cried, frustration evident as she struggled to get a good aim on either one.

Wally stopped next to her, that same flirtatious smile on his face. "Hey, beautiful. Maybe later, when you're not trying to kill us, we could go out for dinner sometime," he suggested, attempting to sound smooth and charismatic. He ended up sounding like someone out of a cheesy romance film, making Dick roll his eyes.

"Wally, stop flirting with the girl who wants to sedate us!"

"Oh, come on! Why can't I get any girls?" Wally demanded.

"Because you're a dork, and _she's trying to sedate us!" _Dick repeated, stressing the words as he struggled to make his friend understand. Sometimes, it was really obvious why he was called Kid Idiot.

"Yeah, and Roy flirts with an assassin. I fail to see your point," Wally shot back.

"Shut. Up!" the unfortunate woman growled, two red spots forming on her cheeks.

Wally suddenly beamed at Dick. "I _told _you we irritate people," he said, an obviously proud note to his voice.

"It's a gift," Dick agreed, smirking as he knocked the weapon out of her hand, then shoved her to the ground.

The two teenagers immediately stopped moving around, staring down at her. "So…what do we do with her?" Wally asked.

"I can still succeed!" the woman growled, lunging forward. Dick managed to knock her back down, but only after she had stuck a small object onto Wally's skin. Immediately, the speedster began to sway as it dissolved, quickly collapsing. Dick glared at the woman as he lashed out, the quick blow knocking her out too.

"Great," he complained. "Now I have to drag him down the street."

* * *

**A/N **Roy made an appearance! 'Cause, seriously, _someone_ had to tell him; the only reason they didn't tell him immediately is because, honestly, they didn't want to be the ones there when he got all angry. That, and he doesn't seem to be incredibly close to anyone on the Team, so I don't think their first thought would be to go and tell him. Plus, it's not really all that fun to talk about. ...Yeah. And did I hint at CheshiRed in there? Yes, yes I did. ^^

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Guest: Wow, that would suck so bad. Free (sorta) from Cadmus, only to be captured by a Gotham villain? And then Batman would get involved, which would make running again so much harder, and would risk Batman's life, and...yeah. It would suck. ;) Anyway, thanks so much for the review!

Nightingale: I'm going to use that at some point; I'll randomly be discussing superheroes (because we all know those conversations are fun) and then I'll mention the Rogues of Epicness. It'll be...well, epic. ;) ...At least in yours it _morphs _into a disease, lol; mine start out angsty, then turn even more so. O.o Let's face it; Dick does amazing in Gotham because he's fun to torture. ^^ Yes! Bats and Flash tie! (which is odd, 'cause Flash is way faster...sorry, lame humor there. Ignore that.) And of course we can't forget about Rob and KF! They're just as awesome. Thanks for the review!

Guest...#2?: Thank you so much! :D


	12. Assassin

**A/N **Whew, sorry for not updating as quickly as I had been; I had a bit of writers' block for this one. **Thanks to twaxer for the amazing cover!** I mean, seriously, it looks so good. :D

**Disclaimer **Owning Young Justice is merely a distant dream...

~Aiva

* * *

"Hey, Red," Cheshire practically purred, not turning around.

"Not in the mood, Chesh," Roy practically growled, bow clenched tightly in one hand. He was tense, but not because of the fact he was meeting with an assassin. He stared at her from behind his domino mask as she turned around. "I need information."

"You know information comes with a cost," Cheshire susurrated, removing her mask as she took a step closer to Roy.

Roy just scowled, crossing his arms. "What do you know about Cadmus?" he asked bluntly, unwilling to play her games.

"I may know something," Cheshire said thoughtfully, a playful glint in her eyes.

"Cheshire," Roy growled warningly.

"Alright," she sighed, reluctant. "I was offered a job, to bring back some lost _possessions _of Cadmus. Not sure whether they're your friends are not, but…" she shrugged.

Roy stiffened, both at the fact that he may have a lead, and he never actually mentioned that to Cheshire. The assassin just smiled. "Oh, please, Red. You're as easy to read as ever," she commented, as if reading his mind.

"Did you take the job?" Roy asked, still deadly serious.

"I was considering it," Cheshire answered.

"I need you to take that job, Chesh," Roy said. He had to know where his brothers were, he had to get them back.

* * *

Dick exhaled heavily, the puff of air blowing a few dark strands away from his eyes. He stared down at his friend, a frown on his face. The sedative most likely wouldn't keep him knocked out for too much longer, but they really needed to get moving. The Cadmus lady had already woken up twice; she hadn't stayed awake very long. However, Dick wanted to avoid repeatedly knocking her out while waiting for Wally to wake up.

"Come on, Walls. We need to get IHOP, remember?"

No response; geez, what had that lady put in him? Dick sighed again, pulling out the smelling salts from his utility belt. He waved it under Wally's nose, and the speedster stirred, green eyes blinking open. "IHOP?" he repeated fuzzily, words slurring together as he struggled to fully wake up. Stupid sedatives.

"I'm paying, remember?" Dick nodded, helping him stand up. Wally shook his head as if to clear it, looking much more alert now. "Awesome!" he chirped, grinning. "I knew there was a reason my best friend is rich!"

Dick just looked at him before shaking his head slowly. "One day, you're going to say the wrong thing to the wrong person, and no one will be there to save your butt," he commented.

"Please," Wally snorted. "No one can resist my charm."

"Except for M'gann, and that Burger King cashier, and the Cadmus lady, and the countless other girls who ignore you…" Dick responded, counting them off on his fingers as he raised an eyebrow. Wally scowled, crossing his arms. "Whatever," he grumbled, eliciting a grin out of Dick.

"Come on, Kid Flirt," Dick laughed.

"What do we do about her?" Wally asked, nudging the Cadmus employee with his foot. Dick paused. "Just leave her there. She'll be fine."

"Works for me," Wally shrugged, turning back to Dick. "So, after IHOP, where are we going?"

"We need to go back to Cadmus."

"What?" Wally practically squeaked. He cleared his throat, though his green eyes were still wide as he stared disbelievingly at his friend. "You're kidding right?" Seeing his face, the speedster's eyes grew slightly wider. "…You're not kidding."

Dick shook his head. "It's not exactly on my top ten things to do either, but they're already tracking us down," he said, glancing at the woman still unconscious on the ground. "We don't know exactly when they'll strike next, and I can't just sit around and wait for them to find us."

"You're losing it if you actually _plan_ on finding Mr. Shocks-a-lot and his new hidey-hole," Wally said bluntly, clearly thinking his best friend was insane. Sure, why _not _go back to the evil scientist who kidnapped them, electrocuted them, and threatened them? It wasn't like it was _risky _or anything.

"Wally, I hate this just as much as you do!" Dick snapped. Few people would've noticed the way he tensed, the subtle flare of pain in his blue eyes. He had been tortured worse than Wally, and though it wasn't always obvious, he was only thirteen. This was just as, if not more, difficult for him as it was for Wally. "But we have to figure out how Dr. Anthony Lawrence plans on killing the League. They have to have some information somewhere; if we can just break in, hack a bit, then we may be able to fix all of this," he continued.

Wally stiffened, but relaxed fractionally as logic seeped into his brain. "Dick, what if they don't have the information in that computer? What if we're captured again? What if-"

Dick interrupted him. "We're heroes, Wally. Something _always_ goes wrong; we can't let that stop us," he said, that familiar smirk grazing his face.

"We're coming up with a plan first," Wally insisted. Dick rolled his eyes. "No, we're rushing in their blindly," he responded, sarcasm practically dripping off of his words. He paused. "Since when have _you _been one to think things through?"

"Since I watched my best friend get tortured, what, four times?"

"We'll be fine," Dick assured, shoving the possible things that could go wrong aside for the moment.

"…Can we discuss this over pancakes?" Wally asked hopefully, green eyes turning into puppy-dog eyes.

"We need to move," Dick responded, fully aware he was crushing the speedster's fantasies but unable to do anything about it. They really couldn't risk staying here much longer; that didn't stop Wally from pouting though. He crossed his arms, stomach growling loudly in protest. Dick tossed him a protein bar. "Here. Enjoy," he said.

Wally shoved it into his mouth quickly, barely remembering to unwrap it first. "Pancakes are better," he mumbled around a mouthful of food, so it ended up sounding more like "Pnflghs arl bengfr". Luckily, Dick had been around Wally long enough to get the message, translating the garbled mess into words with only little difficulty.

"Where did you get that, anyway?" Wally asked after swallowing.

Dick patted his utility belt, which honestly, was answer enough. "Contingency plan," he answered. "I also have trail mix and dried fruit."

Wally's eyes widened in what was best described as awe. He opened his mouth, but Dick interrupted him. "Off limits," he said quickly. They would have to save that for a rainy day; it was bad enough they had to spend the money.

"Darn," Wally grumbled.

"Start walking, Kid Stomach," Dick responded with a grin, nudging the speedster with his elbow.

* * *

"Cancel that meeting today, Alfred," Batman growled as he stalked past the English butler. It didn't take a genius to see how angry the Dark Knight was; unadulterated ire practically made the temperature around him drop a few degrees.

"May I ask why, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked, though he already had a sneaking suspicion of what the answer would be. Batman pulled down his cowl, allowing some of the emotion to seep through his mask of anger and rage, though most still wouldn't be able to see it. "I was so close, Alfred. _He _was so close," he finally said, words not quite as harsh as they once were, but still dangerous.

Alfred was, as Dick would say, whelmed as always. The butler had a knack for keeping his head in situations as stressful as these; that hadn't stopped him from worrying though. The whole manor actually seemed darker without Dick there; Bruce was now in the Batcave for hours on end, and the large halls were far too silent. He didn't delve further into the matter, knowing Bruce would speak when he wanted to; there were few things that could get the billionaire to talk when he wasn't willing to. Dick was one of them.

Alfred couldn't help the small sigh that slipped out, eyes carrying a look of weariness that spoke of witnessing many hardships and trials. He pushed past it though, for Bruce's sake. That didn't change how empty everything seemed now. They really needed Dick back.

* * *

"So how are we traveling now?" Wally asked after a silent minute. They had covered quite a bit of distance already, after knocking the lady out a third time. Dick mulled the question over in his brain. "We can try a train, but I don't know where we'd find a station. I lost track of the map during the fight. We could try a bus, but I dunno how far that would take us," he thought aloud.

"We could take a cab," Wally suggested, brightening at the thought. "Might be a bit expensive, but it's less crowded." The speedster shivered; the cramped space on a bus didn't really appeal to him and his claustrophobia.

Dick didn't want to deal with the puppy-dog eyes that would follow if he said no. Feeling a bit like a tired parent, the thirteen-year-old nodded, giving in with only a second's hesitation. If anything, he could charge it to Bruce, and they could get out earlier than expected and just walk the rest of the way. And honestly, the acrobat didn't want to get on a bus either.

"As soon as we get there, we're getting IHOP though, right?" Wally double-checked as they rounded another corner, growing much closer to the better sections of town.

"Only if you promise not to sing road songs," Dick agreed. Enduring even ten minutes of a speedster singing, occasionally asking "are we there yet?, was almost painful. Scratch that. It _was _painful.

"Aw," Wally pouted. "But…that's the best part!"

"Last time, you sang "99 Cartons of Milk on the Wall" _five times."_

"Then Bruce stopped the car and threw me outside," Wally remembered, stifling a laugh as he remembered the man's face. Needless to say, that had been the last time Bruce was talked into taking the two camping ever again.

"No, that was me," Dick smirked. He had actually taken great pleasure in shoving the speedster out the door; repetitive singing would do that to a person.

"What?" Wally yelped. "I landed on a snake!"

"You were only unconscious for fifteen minutes," Dick shrugged. His systems had been quick enough to handle the poison for the most part, but that combined with the fact that he _might _have _possibly _landed on his head left the Dynamic Duo with a floppy, unresponsive redhead for fifteen minutes.

Wally stared at his friend with an almost comical expressions, green eyes wide and mouth slightly open. "Only fifteen minutes!" he repeated in disbelief. "Dude, what kind of friend _are you?" _

"The kind that stopped Bruce from killing you completely."

"Yeah…hey, why did you guys just toss me in the back though? When _you _were knocked out, Bruce almost had a conniption, and he was ready to take blood samples just to make sure you weren't going to die, or something," Wally complained. Once again, that had been the last time Bruce was talked into taking the two camping ever again.

"Huh. He didn't take a blood sample?" Dick looked a bit surprised, and Wally shook his head slowly, not even sure how one was supposed to respond to that. Bat paranoia could be a scary thing. "Hey, when we get back, do you think we could make Uncle Barry take us camping?" Wally asked after a few seconds of quiet; he couldn't take the silence for very long. The mood immediately dropped somewhat as Wally realized what he had said; going back was still a sore subject, considering how far away it seemed right now.

Dick shook it off though. "I bet we could drag Roy with us," he smirked.

"Yes!" Wally beamed, obviously thrilled by the thought. "I bet we'll have to use the puppy-dog eyes though."

"I've been waiting to use crocodile tears," Dick nodded, smirk widening into more of an actual grin.

"As soon as we get back, right?" Wally asked, making sure. Dick nodded.

"Yeah. As soon as we get back," he repeated. Because they couldn't dwell on the negative, on all of the things that could go wrong, that probably _would _go wrong. They would be going home.

* * *

**A/N ***looks at reviews* You guys are still awesome; how can I already by at 133? I'm only now posting chapter 12. :D You all get brownies for that.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

fanficfantasies: Yeah, he does. ^^ I don't think it helps that his best friend is an accident-prone speedster either, lol. Thank you so much!

Nightingale: I think Dick's tortured because of his already messed up childhood, lol. The writers already opened the floodgates for torture; there's no stopping it, really. And then there's the whole DaddyBats thing you can bring into this...yeah. And Wally...well, he heals fast, so you can torture him more, and he's got that sense of humor that's just epic to incorporate into angsty scenes, for some reason. ^^ Anyways, thanks again for the review!


	13. Argument

**A/N **This chapter's a bit shorter, but we have a bit more drama going on, so hopefully that makes up for it. ^^

**Disclaimer **I don't own Young Justice, or a rusty truck.

~Aiva

* * *

They walked for a few more blocks before Dick noticed something useful; a man kicking his car. Actually, that wasn't all that useful in itself, and it wouldn't really stick out to most people. However, Dick wasn't most people. So he walked right up to the man, taking in his appearance with careful blue eyes; he was tall, but slouched over when he walked. His stomach hung over his belt slightly, and he seemed to be middle-aged, though his stained white t-shirt and wrinkled face made him look a few years older. This was a man who clearly didn't care much, a conclusion supported by the empty bottle in his hand and the heavy smell of alcohol on his breath.

"Dick, what are you doing?" Wally asked, quickly catching up with his friend. He followed Dick's gaze, surprised to see it was focused on the battered car rather than the man. Well, maybe not all that surprised; the man wasn't exactly a sight for sore eyes. "You'll see," Dick responded, a bit mysteriously as he walked closer. "Hi," he greeted cheerfully. "Car troubles?" He glanced at the rusty truck with the last couple of words, and was rewarded by a grunt of agreement.

"Yeah," he mumbled, smacking the front of it with his palm.

"I bet I could fix it for you," Dick offered.

The man squinted, trying to figure out what the price of this was. "What's the catch?" he asked suspiciously.

"We get to keep the car," Dick said, flashing him one of his most charming grins, something he learned quickly as the adoptive son of Bruce Wayne. "I'd made it worth your while," he continued, holding up a fairly thick wad of cash.

The man's eyes widened with greed as he stared at the green bills. "How much?" he asked, attention focused solely on the money.

"Five hundred," Dick offered, studying the rusted truck. In some places, the paint had worn off, and in others it was coated by that metallic reddish color. The inside seemed to be coated in a layer of grime, and judging by the way it wouldn't start, the engine wasn't in good shape either. Dick suppressed the grin that threatened to form on his face; it would be perfect.

"One thousand," he argued, crossing his arms as he tapped the empty bottle against his side.

Wally snorted. "For this piece of junk? Yeah right."

"Six hundred," Dick insisted firmly. The man paused, considering the offer for only a few seconds before nodding. Dick handed over the money, raising an eyebrow. "Keys are in the ignition," the man informed, a smile on his face before he walked off, slipping back inside the shabby apartment.

"Dude, I can't believe you just paid $600 for that," Wally said, eyeing the vehicle with a slight expression of disgust.

"We didn't have the time to argue the price anymore," Dick shrugged, glancing around before pulling some tools out of his utility belt. He opened the hood, glancing at the mechanics inside before nodding to himself. He immediately started working, tweaking a few things here and there and doing a bunch of other stuff that made little to no sense to Wally.

Despite his knowledge with machines (though it wasn't as big as Dick's), Wally knew far more about chemistry than he knew about cars. So he allowed Dick to work as he decided to scope out the inside. He stuck his head in the open window for only a second before withdrawing, nose crinkled up. "That's disgusting," he informed.

"We'll take it through a car wash when we're done," Dick assured absently, absorbed in his work. About half an hour later, Dick shut the hood, frowning slightly. "We may have to buy some new parts later," he said. "But it should work for a little while now."

Wally sat up, jumping down from the back of the truck, where he had eventually laid down after the first ten minutes. "About time," he grumbled, clutching his stomach. "Can we go get food now?" he asked.

"We can stop at a store later," Dick responded. It wasn't smart to repeatedly go to a drive-thru every time they got hungry; they would spend their money a lot quicker that way. Buying some non-perishable things at a grocery store would be better. "We need to make sure this thing works first." He glanced at Wally, who reluctantly slid into the drivers' seat.

He turned the key, and was reward to hear the grumble of an engine. It didn't sound quite right, jerking occasionally in its rhythm, but it worked. "Yes!" Dick cheered, grinning as he buckled himself into the passenger seat.

Wally frowned, not even bothering to place his hands on the steering wheel. "Dick, I don't have my license with me," he reminded.

"Then don't get pulled over."

"Dick, I can't keep doing this!" Wally blurted out. "I had to go steal from two different stores and we had to sneak on a train; there is no way I'm driving illegally!"

"Wally, calm down. You passed your driver's test, right?" Dick asked.

"Yeah," Wally frowned.

"Then you're not driving illegally, necessarily. You just aren't being prepared," he reasoned.

"I can't do this anymore, Dick!" Wally practically shouted, forcing himself to take a deep breath before he continued, voice quite a bit lower now. "It's bad enough we were kidnapped in the first place. But then we were tortured, threatened, and now we can't even go home. I can't break the law just because of all of that, Dick! I can't! Maybe you can because you see more of it in Gotham, I dunno. But I'm not you, Dick. I can't just turn off my emotions when things get hard. I'm not-"

Dick's eyes widened for a moment before his expression darkened. "I'm stuck in the same mess you are!" he interrupted heatedly. "And I can't turn off my emotions either, Wally, not again. I thought you would've known me better than that. Apparently not."

"Maybe I would know you better if you would actually open up every now and then! You're the one who still keeps your identity secret from the team!"

"Bruce is the one who made that decision, Wally," Dick practically growled. "Not me."

"Rebel a little then! You trust them, don't you?"

"It's not that simple! I just…I can't betray his trust like that."

"You told me, didn't you?"

"That was different!" Dick snapped. "I was younger, I didn't really know what I was doing!"

"So what? The fact that we're best friends is only because you "didn't know what you were doing"?" Wally asked, raising an eyebrow as his green eyes hardened.

"That's not what I'm saying!" Dick practically shouted, hands clenching into tight fists at his side.

"Really? 'Cause it sure sounded like it!" Wally retorted.

"You know what? Forget this," Dick muttered, blue eyes sparking with frustration as he shoved the door open roughly. "I'm done." He stormed away, disappearing into the shadows. Wally made no move to stop him, still so wrapped up in his own anger to realize the full implications of that. He sat in the seat fuming for a good five minutes (which was equivalent to hours in speedster terms) before he realized that he had just lost his best friend in this random city. And Cadmus was still targeting both of them.

"Crap," Wally breathed, anger rushing out of him as worry and guilt swept through him. He jumped out of the car, slipping the keys into his pocket before racing off. "Dick!" he shouted, running in the direction he had last seen his friend. "Dick!" There was no response, and Wally gritted his teeth, kicking a nearby wall in frustration. All that served to do was cause pain to shoot up his foot, and he hissed, tensing visibly.

"Come on, Dick! I'm sorry!" Wally tried, continuing to run. He finally slowed though; there was no use. Dick was gone, and it didn't look like he'd be coming back anytime soon, if he came back at all. Wally collapsed in an alleyway, leaning against a wall as he rested his forehead on his knees. _Idiot, _he scolded himself silently. _You're such an idiot._

"Missing something?" a strangely familiar voice asked. Wally's head shot up, heart pounding as he struggled to place it. Once he did, he leapt to his feet, green eyes staring into the shadows. _Crap, _he repeated silently. Cheshire stepped into the light, and that's when Wally noticed Dick. The teenager was looking a bit woozy, and one arm was held tightly by Cheshire. The assassin was holding his utility belt in her other hand.

Wally immediately tensed, taking a threatening step forward. "Get away from him," he growled, eyes narrowing as he glared at the villainess.

Behind her mask, Cheshire was rolling her eyes as she complied, letting go. "Relax. I'm not here for you. I just need to deliver a message," she said.

Wally ignored her for the moment, immediately moving over to support his friend, who shook him off. "Jellyfish toxin," Dick informed, noticing the ginger's concerned look. "I'll be fine in a few minutes."

Wally nodded, finally glancing up at the assassin. "What message?" he asked, a bit wary. "From who?"

"Roy," she answered, voice practically a purr.

Wally froze and Dick stiffened. "What did he say?" the acrobat asked after a tense moment.

"Basically a bunch of shouting and calling you idiots. Then he asked what you were thinking and if you were safe," Cheshire said smoothly, shrugging.

Wally couldn't help but grin at the idiot part; yeah, that was definitely Roy. "Wait, why are you delivering a message for Roy?" he asked suspiciously. His eyes widened as the realization came to him. "You're not – you can't be – what? – you aren't…are you?" he stuttered, unable to really form a coherent thought.

"We have a history."

That was answer enough, and Wally's eyes looked like they were about to fall out of their sockets. "What?" he practically shrieked. Dick just groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "This is Batman and Catwoman all over again," he moaned.

"Wait, those rumors are _true?" _Wally gaped.

"While this is very interesting, I have to go," Cheshire interrupted, tossing them the utility belt.

"Wait!" Wally yelped. He turned to Dick. "Do you think we could send him a message back?" he asked, green eyes shining.

Dick hesitated before shaking his head regretfully. "No…I don't think so. We can't risk Cadmus finding out," he said, hating to even say the words. He wanted to talk to Roy as badly as Wally did.

"Darn it," Wally mumbled, returning his gaze to Cheshire, who was disappearing into the shadows once again. "You better watch yourself around our big brother," he warned, the statement clearly a threat.

"No promises," Cheshire responded, vanishing. Her smile was the last thing to go, just like the Cheshire cat.

Wally sputtered, face red as he glanced around for the assassin as if he would find her. He didn't, and Dick was left wishing he had some mind bleach or something.

* * *

**A/N **I really wanted to see Dick and Wally's reaction to finding out about Roy and Jade...hopefully, I did that moment justice. ^^ I love CheshiRed though; and their daughter is amazingly adorable. So. Cute. Anyway...

They didn't take a cab. Why? Expensive, as Wally and Dick mentioned in the last chapter. Honestly, Dick only agreed so he wouldn't have to hear Wally argue; then he saw the messed up old car, and he realized they could just drive; it would cost a bit more to buy it, but it would last them longer than one cab ride too.

Oh, and I know basically nothing about cars. That was probably really obvious...yeah. Sorry about that.

And the reason Roy wasn't there was because it was Cheshire's job, not his, and she probably just left without him, taking a message instead. Roy won't be happy about it, but whatever. I wanted them to just run into Cheshire; sorry to all those who wanted Roy to find them...that would kind of be breaking the "make contact and they die" thing though.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Guest: Thank you so much! :D

Guest 2: I love it when Dick acts more mature than Wally; then again, it's not hard sometimes. Maybe it's a speedster thing. -shrugs- Thanks for the review!

Guest 3: And yet another reviewer succeeds in making my entire day. :D Thank you so much for all of the kind words; they really mean a lot. I'm so glad you like it!

Nightingale: Lol, I use Kid Stomach almost as much as I use Kid Idiot...his name is perfect for those types of things. ^^ Oh, no speed-healing...that has to suck. Though I guess it might come in handy in some situations, like if they broke his legs; it would suck to have to rebreak them if they healed wrong. DaddyFlash and Spitfire are amazing to add into those fics though; so much fun. :D Thanks so much!


	14. Gas Stations

**A/N **This chapter's longer. ^^

**Disclaimer **...I think you guys get the point by now.

~Aiva

* * *

Thirty seconds later, and Wally was still stuttering out incoherent sentences to the shadows. "Wally?" Dick spoke up.

"What?" Wally asked, turning around.

"She's gone. She can't hear you," Dick informed, the "duh" tone clear in his voice. Wally's face flushed again, freckles nearly disappearing amidst the vibrant red color. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Right," he mumbled. His eyes grew wide as a thought struck him. "…What will happen if Bruce finds out?" he asked, silently hoping that would never happen, despite the fact that the man was a detective, and scarily good at knowing things.

Dick bowed his head. "A moment of silence for our lost friend," he responded solemnly. That moment of silence lasted a grand total of two seconds before they started laughing. "Dick...about the fight earlier…" Wally spoke up after a moment, laughs fading quickly as he stared at his best friend.

An expression of hurt flashed across his face, disappearing so quickly Wally wondered if it had really been there. His brotherly instincts were tingling though, assuring him that it had. A twinge of guilt tugged at him; after that training simulation, he knew that "turning off his emotions" was still a sore subject, almost like a raw nerve. But Dick chose not to comment on that, a small smile instead finding its way to his face. "There's nothing to say," he interrupted.

"But-"

"Seriously, Wally. It's over now," Dick said, cutting him off again.

"I still shouldn't have said most of that stuff," Wally muttered, speaking quickly so he wouldn't be interrupted again. "It wasn't true, and-"

"I deserved it," Dick said, and they both knew he was talking about more than just driving without a license. Wally had his best friend wrapped in a tight hug almost instantly. "No, you don't," he assured. "I know you're not like that. Bruce wouldn't want you to be like that either."

Dick stiffened, then relaxed. "Thanks, Wally. But I still deserved most of that," he said, pulling away from the ginger.

"No, you didn't! I was the one out of line; you're just trying to make sure we don't end up in pods again, and I was behaving like an idiot."

"You were right though."

"No, I wasn't!"

"Yes, you were!"

"No, I wasn't!"

"Yes, you were!"

They paused, unable to help but grin at each other. "We'll be okay, right Dick? This was too stupid to risk our friendship over," Wally said, feeling the random urge just to make sure.

"Well, considering we're already arguing about whose fault it is, I think we're already okay," Dick grinned.

"Thanks, Dickie-bird."

Dick frowned. "I'm thirteen; can't you find some other nickname for me?" he pleaded. It was different when Bruce called him that; when it was Wally and Roy, it just sounded…immature.

"Sure thing, Bird Brain," Wally grinned, trying not to snicker at the acrobat's expression.

"Something else," Dick grumbled.

"Boy Blunder?" Wally suggested.

"You know what? Just stick to Dickie-bird," Dick gave in. Ignoring the boy's protests, Wally reached over and ruffled his dark hair. "Will do, Dickie-bird," he said, grinning even wider. Dick groaned. "If Bruce ever lets me tell the Team who I am, I forbid you from using that," he informed.

"Good luck with that," Wally smirked. "I'll get Roy to back me up."

Dick groaned again. "Let's just…get back to the car," he muttered.

Wally stiffened, looking uncertain as he stared at his friend. "Dick…" he began.

Dick felt tempted to facepalm. "Right…I guess we can take a train then. Or a bus," he said, quickly remembering why he had run off in the first place.

Wally shook his head after a brief hesitation. "I'll drive," he said. "If it'll get us home faster, I'll drive."

Dick breathed a silent sigh of relief, though he didn't show it. "Let's go then."

"Can I say it?" Wally suddenly asked, green eyes hopeful as he stared pleadingly at the younger boy.

"Say what?" Dick began, slightly confused. Realization dawned on his features, and he paused. "Oh. …I guess," he agreed hesitantly.

"Yes!" Wally cheered. He took a dramatic pose, feet planted firmly on the ground and fists on his hips. "To the Batmobile!" he shouted, running off.

Dick followed, though much less dramatically, rolling his eyes at the speedster's antics. That didn't stop him from grinning though, or stop the laugh that bubbled up inside of him. He practically jumped into the passenger seat, Wally's hands already on the wheel.

Dick honestly couldn't help himself. "Atomic batteries to power…turbines to speed," he said. Wally turned to him, grinning widely. "I thought Bruce forbid you from ever watching that!" he exclaimed, though he was clearly pleased by the younger boy's rebellion.

"Remember the last time I was over at your house, and we were having that movie marathon with Uncle Barry?" Dick asked.

"No?" Wally responded, a bit confused.

"Oh, yeah," Dick said, remembering that night a bit better now. "You fell asleep after your fifth bowl of popcorn. Anyway, he had some of those old Batman episodes recorded. He said Bruce wouldn't let him watch it at the Watchtower, so he made me watch them there…" Dick frowned as he remembered his costume in the show; I mean, really, it was quite obvious he wore pants now. That had been only once, and he was _nine. _"Bruce made me wash the Batmobile the first time I said "Holy schizophrenia, Batman!"," he continued.

Wally snickered. "I dare you to say stuff like that for three days," he said.

"Got it," Dick grinned, already having the perfect response when Bruce asked what he was doing. "When in doubt, blame a Flash," he muttered as he buckled himself in.

Wally glanced over at him suspiciously. "What?" he asked.

Dick cackled, which didn't really help the ginger to feel any more secure. Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Wally turned on to the road easily; he had gotten better at driving since Barry started teaching him. "Where to now?" he asked, attempting to redirect the conversation. Dick glanced at the gauges on the dashboard. "First, a gas station," he said. "Then the nearest town."

"You mean other than the one we're in?" Wally asked, barely able to hide his grin.

"That was implied," Dick replied.

"You should've clarified," Wally shrugged. They drove in silence for a few minutes before he spoke up again. "Where's a gas station?" he asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Dick asked.

"Because you're an acrobat with mad ninja skills?" Wally suggested.

"And how does that help with knowing where we are?"

"I dunno…it just does."

"Right…" Dick said slowly. He glanced around. "Turn left," he instructed.

Wally beamed. "I told you it would help," he said.

"…I just saw the sign."

"Oh…" Wally trailed off awkwardly as he parked the car next to one of the gas dispensers. He glanced at Dick. "You want to go in and pay while I fill her up?" he asked.

"Sure," he shrugged, unbuckling and slipping out of the car. He stepped into the gas station, looking around curiously. It was small, but it didn't look as disgusting as other ones did; it actually looked kind of nice, a friendly blue color tiling the floor and edging the ceiling while aisles of candy and snacks were arranged neatly in the center.

He walked over to the cashier, handing over the money as he spoke, not really thinking of the words. His attention was focused firmly on a man near some bags of chips. He looked vaguely familiar, though the hat shadowing his face prevented Dick from identifying him. That made Dick's Bat paranoia tingle, and he accepted his change quickly, forcing himself to act normal as he walked back to the car.

Wally was almost done filling it up. Once he hung the nozzle back up, Dick spoke. "Wally, get back in the car," he hissed. Surprised, Wally glanced up. "Why?" he asked, cocking his head to the side slightly.

"Cadmus scientist inside," Dick answered quickly, wasting no time in getting into the car. The man was outside now, walking nonchalantly towards what seemed to be his car, though it was obvious that he was staring at them. Wally ducked back inside too, closing the door quickly as he turned the key. "You sure?" he checked.

Dick nodded. "I recognized him from when I was first kidnapped," he confirmed.

Wally groaned. "Great," he said sarcastically, resisting the urge to slam his forehead into the steering wheel. They pulled out of the parking lot, closely followed by a mini-van with oddly tinted windows. "Car chase?" Wally asked, glancing over at his friend.

"Go nuts," Dick nodded. Wally couldn't help but grin; this would be fun. Dick, however, gripped the edge of his seat tightly; this wouldn't end well. Sure, he trusted Wally; but when the speedster was told to drive fast…well, he wasn't exactly the _best_ driver in the world…or anywhere, really.

As soon as there was a break in the cars passing by them, Wally slammed on the gas, shooting in between two vehicles. Multiple swerves, two dented stop signs, and three ignored red lights later, they had finally lost the surprisingly persistent scientist. Wally let out a whoop while Dick breathed a sigh of relief; he was sure they were going to hit that lady two streets back. "How were we not pulled over for that?" Wally asked, a bit amazed.

Of course, the sirens started wailing then. "You just _had _to say it, didn't you?" Dick grumbled.

"It could be worse," Wally attempted. That's when two more sirens joined the first.

"Thanks, Wally. You jinxed us," Dick groaned.

"What? All I said was it could be-" Wally began.

"Don't say it again!" Dick interrupted. "We'll run into a rabid alligator or something!"

"A…rabid alligator," Wally repeated slowly. "Do I even _want_ to know why that's one of your concerns?"

"It could happen," Dick insisted, crossing his arms.

"Sure it could, Dick. Anyway, what do we do about the cops?" Wally asked, jerking his head back to indicate the three police cars now tailing them.

"Another car chase?" Dick suggested.

"This day just keeps getting better and better," Wally commented. Scarily, Dick wasn't sure whether he was serious or not.

* * *

"I…I lost them," he admitted reluctantly into his phone, flinching automatically as the words left his mouth.

"You lost them," the voice on the other end repeated slowly.

"Yes, sir," he nodded, mouth dry. He didn't allow his voice to tremble though, which was an impressive feat considering the emotions boiling within him.

"Report back to Cadmus. I expect you back in my office by 5," the voice instructed before hanging up.

The scientist allowed the phone to fall from his hand, landing on the seat cushion underneath him. _I'm dead, _he thought silently. He knew fully well what Dr. Anthony Lawrence did to those who failed him; it wasn't a pleasant thing, frankly. "I'm dead," he repeated, out loud this time as he slipped back into the afternoon traffic.

* * *

Hours later, they arrived in another town, this one smaller than the other. It looked like a fairly welcoming place, with cheerful looking stores and everything. Dick just couldn't relax though. "We need to find a grocery store," he said, glancing at Wally, who nodded.

Dick returned back to his thoughts, unable to help the paranoia that was now sweeping over him in waves. Though it wasn't too obvious (thanks to Batman's training) he was constantly looking at everyone for any suspicious signs. Stupid Cadmus, making him paranoid like this. He forced himself to relax; they would be fine. It wouldn't be too hard to beat up someone again…not that it would come to that. Wow, he really was paranoid.

Focusing on slowing his breathing, Dick managed to get back to the point where he wasn't staring at _everyone…_just some people. But that was normal, right? Well, as normal as it got for a Bat on the run, anyway. "Found one!" Wally announced, interrupting his train of thought as he parked near the front of the store.

Dick stepped out, leading the way into the grocery store. He glanced at Wally. "We need stuff like water bottles and trail mix. Things that'll last us a while," he said.

"Got it," Wally nodded. Dick handed him some money, the two separating for a while in order to get supplies faster.

* * *

**A/N **I already have some ideas for the next chapter, so that one shouldn't take to long to write and post. ;)

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Guest: I couldn't resist throwing that line in there, lol. Thanks for the review!


	15. Groceries

**A/N **We're getting closer to the real action, people. Get excited. ;)

**Disclaimer **Yeah, no. I don't own.

~Aiva

* * *

Wally was originally going to get water bottles. He ended up getting sidetracked by the large display of candy and other glorious forms of junk food. The speedster's mouth was practically watering as he stared, glancing at the money in his hand, then up at the candy again. He debated for only a second before giving in, a grin forming on his face. He filled his arms with a wide array of candy bars, the pile nearly reaching his chin. He retreated from the aisle, turning around and nearly running into Dick.

He let out a very manly (not) yelp of surprise, quickly changing courses. Dick wouldn't let him buy it for sure, so the speedster did what he did best; run. Unfortunately, he didn't really look where he was going, and ended up running into a large shelf full of alarm clocks. Of course, he had to run into the noisy, possibly breakable, objects.

The shelf fell, scattering the alarm clocks everywhere. Sitting amidst the mess, Wally groaned as the air was suddenly filled with a cacophony of beeps, buzzes, and rings. Panicking slightly, he hurriedly tried to press the "snooze" button on every clock…it didn't work very well, and he finally gave up. "Seriously, Wally?" a familiar voice spoke. "I left you alone for five minutes."

Wally looked up to see Dick, and his face immediately flushed a deeper red as he shoved a candy bar behind him. "It wasn't my fault!" he said immediately out of habit.

"Sure it wasn't," Dick agreed sarcastically.

"Seriously! It wasn't my fault!" Wally insisted, aware that he was just digging himself a deeper hole but continuing anyway. "It…it was gravity's fault," he added lamely.

"And whose candy bars are those?" Dick asked, clearly trying to hide his laughter as he raised a questioning eyebrow at the apparently clumsy speedster.

"The floors?" Wally tried.

"I don't think the floors can eat, Wally," Dick said, snickers breaking out as he responded.

"You never know," Wally persisted. "What if a random super villain came in with a gun that made things come to life, and shot it at the floor? It would probably be hungry."

"Get up, Kid Klutz," Dick grinned, shaking his head slowly at the lameness that was Wally's excuses. "We're attracting a crowd." Sure enough, there were quite a few customers standing around them, some annoyed and some amused. Most were a bit confused though, probably about what two teenage boys were doing standing in a pile of alarm clocks and candy bars. Wally's face flushed red again, but that didn't stop him from grinning at them. "Hi," he said, waving sheepishly. One or two actually waved back, making Wally's grin widen, but most either walked away or continued staring.

Dick rolled his eyes good-naturedly, then stiffened slightly. "Hey, Wally, gotta go. Mad employees at six o' clock," he notified.

"Oh, crap," Wally said, leaping to his feet. The two made their way away from the scene as quickly as they could without looking too suspicious, heading towards an open register to pay for the stuff Dick was carrying. Of course, it had to be a girl at the counter, looking to be around 19 or 20. Strands of dark hair framed her face, though most of it was pulled back into a ponytail that had been tossed easily over her shoulder. Brown eyes stared at them expectantly as Wally gaped at her, mouth dropping open slightly.

"Can I help you?" she asked expectantly, gaze flitting over to the items Dick placed on the counter.

"Yes," Wally said, recovering quickly. "Do you have a map? I think I'm lost in your eyes."

Dick, instead of groaning, actually laughed. "I thought you wouldn't do it!" he said happily, remembering a dare that had been placed maybe two weeks ago.

"Yeah, well, I better get my ten bucks now," Wally grumbled. Even he wasn't _that _corny…just a bit clueless when it came to knowing when to back off. The poor cashier looked confused, tilting her head questioningly at the two as she reached for the package of water bottles. "Ignore my friend," Dick said, flashing that charming grin at her. "He's a bit of an idiot when it comes to girls sometimes."

"You _dared _me to say that!" Wally retorted, eyes wide as he stared indignantly at the younger boy.

"Um…okay?" she responded, raising an eyebrow slightly, still clearly confused as she bagged the items. Dick handed her some money, probably a bit more than necessary. She started to give him change, but Dick stopped her. "Keep the change," he grinned easily, and her eyes widened gratefully.

"Thanks!" she said cheerfully, dimples forming on her cheeks as she smiled.

"No problem," Dick responded, taking the bags and practically dragging Wally away.

"But…but I wanted to ask her out!" Wally protested.

"You do realize we're on the run, right?" Dick asked, raising an eyebrow. "When exactly would you have time to date her?"

Wally groaned. "And that's another reason I hate Cadmus," he grumbled.

"What, the torture and threats weren't enough for you?" Dick asked, attempting a bit of humor. Wally suddenly paused, glancing at the cars around them with the interest that came only from looking for something. "Where did we park again?" he asked, now standing on tip-toes to peek over a large SUV.

"You're standing in front of the car," Dick pointed out helpfully, a grin breaking out.

"I knew that," Wally muttered, slipping into the drivers' seat. Dick's grin widened as he tossed the plastic bags in the back seats before getting into his own seat. "Way to help out there, Wally," he commented.

"You're welcome!" Wally responded cheerfully, though he was fully aware he did nothing to help with the groceries at all. He pulled out of the parking lot, making it only about a mile before Dick stopped him.

"Turn left," he called out suddenly. Wally complied, though he frowned in confusion. "Why are we going to a random pharmacy?" he asked.

"Cadmus," Dick answered, a bit cryptically.

"Okay," Wally said slowly. "What exactly does this have to do with Cadmus?"

"After our first time in Cadmus, Bruce updated his file on them, and found they actually controlled a bunch of other companies, behind the scenes. This is one of them. I bet if I can hack their systems, I can find out something like-"

"Like where Dr. Anthony Lawrence is?" Wally finished.

"Or some other Cadmus locations," Dick nodded.

"So basically, we're going into this random pharmacy that's actually part of this crazy, evil laboratory out to get us, all in hopes that we get some information?" Wally summed up, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, yeah. Pretty much," Dick replied.

"Why do I have the feeling that this is going to go wrong?" Wally continued.

"Probably because it is," Dick responded brightly. "You get to be the distraction, by the way."

"What?" Wally yelped. "Why me?"

"Because I'm the hacker?"

"Darn it," Wally grumbled.

Dick let out a small cackle at his friend's tone. "It won't be that bad," he encouraged. "You're great at being impulsive."

Wally considered this for a moment before he shrugged, unable to deny it. He unbuckled, getting out of the car. Dick trailed behind him, the two stepping into the small building easily. Wally's nose twitched; it smelled like medicine and antiseptic…he hated that smell. Ignoring the irritating scent, he walked up to the counter, clearing his throat expectantly.

"Yes?" a man asked, walking over. He looked to be in his thirties, and already had a bald spot forming on the top of his head, standing out painfully amidst his shiny brown hair. Gray eyes stared back at the ginger, and Wally grinned. "I'm here to pick up a prescription," he said.

"For who?" the man – Phil, according to his nametag – asked, moving over to a small computer to look up whomever.

"Mary Anne Reese Nicole Janet Gertrude Witherbottom," Wally responded immediately. The man blinked, mouth opening slightly in confusing.

"She's our great-aunt," Dick spoke up. "By marriage. I'm Gary Ben Ray Thomas Kennedy. This is Carson Leonard Steven Kennedy," he added, gesturing to Wally, who grinned.

"Carson Leonard Steven Kennedy at your service," Wally said, somehow remembering his full "name".

The man blinked again, now hopelessly confused. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Can you repeat your aunt's name?" he asked, trying to regain control over the situation.

"Great-aunt," Dick corrected. "And sure. It was Mary Anne Reese Nicole Janet Gertrude Witherbottom." Wally glanced down at him, clearly impressed that he was able to actually remember that; then again, he _was _trained by Batman.

Phil slowly typed in some stuff, then frowned. "I'm sorry, but I can't seem to find her in-"

"Oh no!" Wally screamed suddenly.

"What?" the man cried, eyes wide.

"Appendicitis!" Wally shouted even louder, sinking to the floor as he clutched his stomach, groaning dramatically. Dick fought hard not to laugh, instead putting on a worried, panicked expression that was mirrored on Phil's face. "Call an ambulance!" Dick screeched, grabbing Phil's shirt and shaking him. "He's _dying!"_

Phil was honestly too busy panicking to think clearly, and dashed out from behind the counter, standing next to Wally anxiously. The few other customers and employees there followed his lead, circling around the writhing ginger anxiously, a few having their phones already out. Dick took the opportunity to hack into the computer, a complicated string of code flying across the screen for only a moment as Dick pulled up programs and windows. Finding what he was looking for, he closed out, dashing over to Wally's side and nodding at him.

The ginger perked up immediately, sitting up as if nothing happened. "Nevermind, I'm good," he grinned. "Thanks for your concern though; really touching, guys," he added, before racing out the doors with Dick, unable to keep himself from laughing as he jumped into the car, driving off quickly. "That…was…awesome," he managed to get out.

"It went better than I thought," Dick agreed with a grin. "I told you, you're great at being impulsive."

"I am, aren't I?" Wally beamed.

Dick snorted. "Try not to get a big head there," he said.

"I was kidding," Wally assured. "So what did you find out?"

"Some stuff," Dick shrugged, purposely being cryptic in order to tease the speedster.

Wally rolled his eyes. "Never would've guessed," he muttered sarcastically.

Dick smirked. "I found out where we need to go next," he elaborated. When he said nothing else, Wally raised an eyebrow.

"And?" he prompted, glancing over at the acrobat for a second.

"Eyes on the road," Dick reminded.

"I got it," Wally assured, just as he accidentally scraped against the curb, producing a screeching, grating sound that made both of them wince. "Oops," he mumbled sheepishly.

"Yeah, you got it," Dick said sarcastically, a grin taking the sting out of the words.

"What did you find?" Wally reminded, not really surprised at how quickly they had gotten off topic, but still burning with curiosity.

"We need to go to Tallahassee, Florida," Dick answered, straight forward finally.

They glanced at each other, identical expressions of excitement lighting up their faces. "Road trip!" they shouted simultaneously, grins widening.

* * *

**A/N **Sorry that this chapter was a bit shorter. I normally try to get them up to 2000 words, but this one ended up being a bit over 100 less...but I felt that it ended better there. -shrug- Anyway, on to the mailbag!

**Mailbag**

Don'tWalkUpStairsBackwards: That was definitely one of the nicest reviews I've gotten; thank you so much! :D It means a lot to know that you like it enough to actually go back and re-read it; but no worries, it won't be ending soon. ;) I still have a few more twists up my sleeve. I'm glad you liked the reference; lol, couldn't resist throwing that one in there. Thank you again for the kind words!


	16. Interrogation

**A/N **We're so close to 200 reviews guys; I bet we can get there with this chapter. :D

**Disclaimer **I own David Benton...I think. Maybe not, since he works for Cadmus, and I don't own that...now I'm confused.

~Aiva

* * *

Bruce had done a lot of digging. That was why he was off as soon as he put on the cowl, a dangerous glare hardening his features, making them even colder than normal. He was furious, which was half the reason the crime rate had been down in Gotham; the first villain that had attempted anything had been sent to Arkham in a body cast for six months…and he had been _lucky_. The few gang wars that had threatened to spring up had been stopped just as quickly, with more brutal tactics than usual.

And the first person who had asked where the Boy Wonder was…well, let's just say that would be a nightmare among the criminal community for quite a while.

That was also why he was leaving Gotham on its own for one night; he might have another lead. He redirected the Batwing's course, landing in a small town a fair distance away from Phoenicia. He let out a grunt that was a mixture of approval and frustration; they were moving fast, and covering their tracks well. That didn't mean the Dark Knight couldn't track them though; there was a reason one of his other titles was the World's Greatest Detective. But it was difficult; maybe he _should_ consider implanting a tracer in Robin…

He shook himself out of his train of thought as the Batwing landed with a barely noticeable thump. Batman's glare hardened further, if possible, as he stalked off the ship, activating the cloaking device. The only way someone would notice it now was if they walked into it. Using the shadows as cover, Batman disappeared almost as if he had a cloaking device of his own. He made his way to a small bar that was nestled in a corner of town, loud shouts and laughs coming from inside. Batman growled; they wouldn't be laughing for long.

Choosing a dramatic entrance over stealth, he thrust the doors open, storming inside in a flurry of darkness, mainly shrouded by his cape. That made his piercing glare all the more terrifying, and the crowd inside stilled immediately. One stupid man, drunk judging from his unbalanced steps, stood. "It's the Bat!" he shouted, words slurred. That didn't stop him from pulling out a large knife, and he lunged clumsily at the Dark Knight.

Batman deflected it easily, then slammed the man back against the wall. He was soon on the floor groaning, not bothering to get up. No one else said anything, and Batman glared at every single occupant furiously. "Where," he began, voice low and dangerous, "is David Benton?" No one moved, and Batman slammed a gauntleted fist down on a nearby table. "Where is he?" he repeated, voice turning into more of a snarl.

One unfortunate man sitting closest to the Bat pointed to a spot near the back of the dimly lit room. "H-he's over there," he stuttered, clearly trying to save his own skin. Batman glared at him, but didn't beat him up, moving in the indicated direction instead. David Benton tried to move away, but the sheer fury radiating off the Dark Knight stopped him. "What do you know about Cadmus?" he growled, continuing to move closer.

David's eyes widened in pure panic, face growing scarily pale as he found himself backed up against a wall. He looked around wildly for any kind of help, but found none, everyone abandoning him to his certain doom. He didn't answer, mouth suddenly dry. "ANSWER ME!" Batman roared, hand shooting out to grab the man by the throat. He actually lifted him up of the ground a few inches, ignoring the flailing arms and the choking sounds coming from the man now. He let him drop after a few satisfactory seconds, and David gasped in air hastily, face even whiter now, if possible. "I-I don't know a-anything!" he stuttered, hands up in the universal gesture of "don't hurt me!".

Batman let out a growl, the white lenses of his mask narrowing into dangerously thin slits as a snarl contorted his features. "Don't lie to me!" he yelled, a fist slamming into the wall only centimeters from the man's head. David glanced at it with wide, terrified eyes; there was now a hole in the wall, where his head could have been. "I-I swear!" David said, squeezing his eyes shut as the Dark Knight raised his fist. Terror coursed through him as pain shot through his face, blood streaming from his now broken nose. Judging by the look of cold satisfaction on Batman's face, David was sure the vigilante would be happy to do far worse. He swallowed, now trembling like a leaf in the wind. "Stop!" he shouted. "I-I'll tell y-you what I-I know."

"It better be good," Batman growled.

David had to try really, really hard not to wet himself. "I-I was s-sent to b-bring back Subjects 401 and 402 t-to Cadmus," he admitted, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Where?" Batman demanded, clearly growing angrier. "Where is Cadmus?"

"I-I don't know!" David cried, hands rising to protect his face. "I swear I don't! I-I was supposed t-to bring them to a r-rendezvous point, n-not bring th-them to the a-actual place. I w-was bringing th-them to Charlottesville, Virginia."

Batman was gone in an instant.

* * *

Dick had finally given in and bought a GPS after they were forced to make another U turn. He fiddled with it for a few seconds before using the suction cup on the back to stick it to the windshield. "There," he announced triumphantly. "Now you can just listen to where you need to go."

Wally's bottom lip stuck out slightly in a small pout. "I'm not that bad," he sulked.

"Wally, we made eight U-turns and went in circles twice," Dick said, trying not to snicker.

"Maybe you need to give better directions," the redhead offered.

"Somehow, I don't think that's the problem," Dick snorted, blue eyes still glinting with amusement as he turned up the volume. "Just listen to Quincy."

"Quincy?" Wally repeated, cocking his head to the side in slight confusion.

"The GPS," Dick clarified.

"Why did you name our GPS?"

"Why do you still sleep with a Flash plushie?" Dick shrugged.

"Why do you still sleep with a Batman plushie?" Wally retorted immediately.

"Why do you know all the words to Call Me Maybe?"

"Why do you still watch the Muppets?"

"You can't be too old for the Muppets," Dick said immediately, crossing his arms stubbornly. "Why do people keep messing up your name?"

"I don't know!" Wally burst out, green eyes glowering at the mention of his other "names". Flash Kid, Speedy, Flash Boy, Baby Flash, Flash Junior….the list went on. "…I'm not going to win this, am I?" he asked after a moment.

"Nope!" Dick responded cheerfully. "Oh, you missed your turn, by the way."

Sure enough, the GPS – or Quincy, as Dick had dubbed it – was now saying "Recalculating" while the blue line shifted to show a new route. "Great," Wally complained, "I missed it because you kept talking."

"You started it!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"DID NOT!"

"Did not."

"Did too – wait!" Wally said, stumbling over the next word as he groaned. Dick smirked, and the ginger smacked him playfully on the shoulder.

"Do you think I can drive?" Dick asked randomly.

"No," Wally responded immediately, not even considering the idea…then again, that's how Roy reacted when the speedster first asked him, and now Wally had a license.

"Come on, Wally," Dick pouted pleadingly. "You've been in the Batmobile with me. I can drive!"

"We got pulled over by the police!" Wally reminded.

"Only because he was new," Dick said, rolling his eyes.

"Besides, I don't think you can reach the pedals," Wally teased.

Dick's blue eyes hardened. "You're calling me short," he stated.

"Pretty much," Wally agreed. A few seconds later, and Dick was randomly tossing crumpled up pieces of paper at him. Where he had gotten the paper, Wally wasn't exactly sure, but he decided not to ask. "Hey!" the speedster yelped, throwing up one hand to deflect the projectiles while attempting to steer with the other. "Driving here!"

"The speed limit is 40 mph, there's only two other cars on the road, and both of them are ahead of us. The chances of us getting into an accident aren't too high," Dick rationalized as he threw another ball at him.

"This is going to be a long car ride," Wally groaned as he resisted the growing temptation to smack his forehead into the steering wheel.

"Well, it is around 20 hours," Dick nodded.

"What?" Wally yelped. "20 _hours?" _

"Uh, yeah. How long did you think it would take to get there?" Dick asked.

"I don't know! I'm kind of used to getting there in two to three minutes," Wally said, inwardly groaning at the thought of sitting still that long. Driving or not, the speedster needed _something _to keep him occupied for that long. Pressing down a pedal on the floor and turning a wheel while listening to Quincy wasn't going to cut it.

"Turn left in 2.5 miles," the GPS spoke up.

"You know, she does look like a Quincy," Wally said, glancing at the GPS with interested green eyes. Dick grinned, but it faded quickly as he considered the ginger's next comment. "Can we sing road songs?" he asked, already starting to hum.

Dick shrugged; the last time he had tried this with Bruce (flying in the Batwing) he was forced to clean the Batmobile for a week. Why not do it now? "Let's do it," he answered, grin returning as Wally cheered.

"Are we there yet?" Wally began singing. "Are we there yet? I know I just asked, but I forget!"

"Blue one!" Dick interrupted suddenly, punching Wally's arm.

"Hey – ouch!" Wally yelped. He rubbed the spot, shooting a quick glare at the younger boy beside him. He wasted no time in punching Dick back.

"Dude!" Dick griped, though a grin was still on his face. "No punch backs!" He punched Wally anyway, not caring that he was contradicting his statement.

"Hypocrite," Wally retorted, punching Dick again.

"Wimp."

"Shorty."

"Wow…that was lame," Dick said, raising an eyebrow. "Couldn't you come up with something better?"

"No!" Wally shot back.

Dick laughed. "That's sad, Wally."

"…Shut up and let me listen to Quincy," Wally grumbled.

"You want to sing more Veggie Tales?" Dick asked after a moment filled with nothing but relative silence.

"I was thinking Spongebob," Wally shrugged.

Dick considered this for a moment before nodding. "F.U.N song, or the Campfire Song Song?" he asked.

"F.U.N," Wally decided.

"Can I do Plankton's part?" Dick asked hopefully.

Wally snorted. "Of course you'd want to sing about bombs and destruction."

"You want to sing it to, don't you?" Dick asked with a grin.

"…Yes," Wally admitted.

"We can both do it," Dick said, grin widening.

They launched into the song, about to reach the part with ukuleles when some guy sped illegally past them. Wally honked at them in irritation, and the guy gave him a not-nice gesture in response. The ginger immediately rolled his window down, sticking his head out. "Oi!" Wally shouted. "There are _children _in the car!"

"I'm thirteen," Dick grumbled, mildly miffed at his comment.

Wally pulled his head back in, rolling up the window after sticking his tongue out at the guy. Suddenly, he started coughing, face turning red as he struggled to clear his throat. Dick stared at him in mild concern and interest as he coughed. Gasping, Wally finally turned to him. "Fly flew down my throat," he explained.

Dick started laughing, the familiar cackle filling the small interior of the truck. "Better than that one time with the bee," he grinned.

Wally started laughing too. "Or the time with the ladybug," he added.

"Remember that demonic pigeon?" Dick asked, grin widening.

"That was the last time Roy ever took us to that park again," Wally nodded. "Good times."

"I still can't believe it managed to fly off with half of his sandwich hanging from its mouth."

"Neither could Roy," Wally laughed. "And then you started freaking everyone out by flipping off of the swings, but all of the little kids loved it," he continued.

"And you threw up after going on the spinney thing," Dick remembered.

"In my defense, I had just eaten five pieces of pizza, three slushies, two corndogs, and a thing of cotton candy. Speaking of food, can I eat something?" Wally asked.

Dick tossed him a small pack of fruit snacks. Wally glanced at them curiously for a moment. "You got the Justice League ones?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He shrugged, popping a yellow shaped like the Flash symbol into his mouth; he wasn't complaining.

"So how much longer now?" Wally asked after swallowing his fifth fruit snack.

"We've only been driving for forty minutes, Wally," Dick reminded.

Wally groaned, once again reminded of the reason he _hated_ long car rides. As Dick started humming the F.U.N. song, Wally couldn't help but grin though. Maybe road trips weren't that bad after all.

* * *

**A/N **One thing I want to clarify here; David Benton was the Cadmus guy stalking them at the gas station. I went ahead and gave him a name. ^^

**Mailbag**

Guest: I'm not the best at math, lol. ;) Thanks for the review!

fanficfantasies: I included more Batman. :D I couldn't resist throwing a furious Bruce in there; I hope you enjoyed!

Don'tWalkUpStairsBackwards: Seriously? That's...awesome. :D I would actually love to become an author someday, so the fact that this is better than some books...that makes me really, really happy. And I think some of my chapters could be better, but I don't ever really post something I absolutely hate. ^^ ...I made you cry? -hands a tissue- I succeeded! Sorry though...normally I try to make people happy, lol. Thank you so much for the review!

Guest 2: It's coming, don't worry. ;)

Guest that reads: -gasp- I do too. That would be the best trip to the store ever. :D Thanks for the review!

Guest 3: Thanks! :D


	17. Cats

**A/N **Wow...this is my longest fanfiction (not including collections of oneshots) ever. And I'm still not close to the end. ^^ Sorry for the longer wait, guys; I tried to make up for it by making this chapter longer than normal. Barry also made an appearance, for those of you who asked for him to show up.

**Disclaimer **I don't own anything. It's the painful truth.

~Aiva

* * *

They had already driven through Maryland and Virginia, and had entered North Carolina about ten minutes ago. "How much longer _now?"_ Wally asked, for what had to be the fifth or so time.

"We're pretty much half way there," Dick answered, munching on a granola bar as he studied the GPS. "We still have to go through the rest of North Carolina, then get through South Carolina and Georgia. And then we have to drive through a bit of Florida to get to Tallahassee."

Wally brightened considerably when he heard this, a wide grin forming on his face. His face fell again when he realized that meant they would have to drive forever _again _to reach their destination. It felt like they had been driving for days already.

Dick smirked at his expression. "It isn't _that _bad," he assured the speedster.

"It'd be a lot better if we could stop and get some actual food," Wally grumbled. "You still owe me IHOP."

"We can stop and get something," Dick gave in. Though he wouldn't admit it, he wanted something to eat too; something hot and freshly baked. He was seriously missing Alfred's cooking. He grabbed Quincy, searching for the nearest IHOP. "Go left in 3 miles," it instructed. Dick's eyes narrowed. "But…the screen says go right," he argued, confused.

"Great. You broke the GPS," Wally complained. "What did Quincy ever do to you?"

"I didn't break it!" Dick insisted, poking the screen as if that would fix it. "Just go right."

"But Quincy said to go left," Wally argued.

"And I said to go right," Dick retorted, tossing the GPS to the floor with a frustrated huff.

"Maybe I trust Quincy more than you," Wally stated matter-of-factly.

"Wally, go right," Dick repeated. The speedster hesitated, then turned left. "When we get lost, it's your fault," Dick sighed.

"We're not going to get lost! Quincy won't let me down," Wally insisted.

A few minutes and five wrong turns later, Wally admitted defeat, pulling into a parking lot. Instead of asking for help, like some normal people would do, he looked over at Dick grumpily. "Why did you break Quincy?" he asked, half serious.

"I didn't break Quincy!" Dick repeated, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Uh huh. Well, Boy Blunder, which way do we go now?" Wally asked, now clearly teasing the younger.

"Boy _Wonder," _Dick corrected. He hated that nickname. "And we go left."

"So_ now_ you want me to go left?" Wally asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up and drive, Flash Boy," Dick grumbled, though it was clear both of them were just messing around, not really serious, which was proven even more as they broke out into wide grins a few seconds later.

"So, IHOP, right?" Wally checked as he turned left.

"Nope," Dick responded with cheerful sarcasm. "We're going-"

"Uh huh," Wally said, interrupting whatever he was about to say. "Which way now?"

"Left again," Dick huffed, shooting his friend a small glare. "You could've at least waited until I was done," he mumbled.

"Where's the fun in that?" Wally grinned, glancing over at the younger boy.

"Eyes on the road," Dick reminded again, inwardly cringing at the speedster's driving habits. Seriously, who had taught him how to drive?

"Nothing's going to happen," Wally assured, rolling his eyes easily.

"WATCH OUT FOR THAT CAT!" Dick shouted suddenly, leaning forward and gripping the edge of his seat tightly.

Wally let out a yelp as he twisted the wheel, swerving to avoid the unfortunate animal. He acted a second too late, and there was a dull _thud! _Followed by a large bump. Wally glanced at Dick with wide, guilty eyes. "I just killed a cat," he gulped, clearly feeling horrible. He slammed on the brakes, racing out of the car before the acrobat really had time to react. He came back quickly enough, a small cat cradled carefully in his arms.

It looked to be just barely older than the "kitten" phase, sapphire blue eyes blinking piteously at them as a small meow escaped. The feline had cream colored fur, though darker brown areas surrounded its nose, tail, and feet. The toes were a pure white color. Its fur would've been nice and beautiful if it weren't for the blood now matting it. One of the cat's legs seemed to have been hit, and Wally anxiously looked up. "Dick, we have to help him," he pleaded, green eyes wide and distraught.

Dick honestly couldn't say no, even if he wanted to. Between the innocent, pained look in those wide blue eyes, and the guilty look on Wally's face, the acrobat had no choice. He produced bandages and antiseptic from a pouch on his belt, setting them on the seat. Glancing around, he decided the best place to do this was on his lap. He glanced at the small feline, holding out his arms. Wally handed over the cat with only a bit of reluctance, though he continued to stroke its fluffy head comfortingly.

Dick began working immediately, fingers lightly skimming over the injured area. As he assessed the damage, he unconsciously took in other details about the feline. It actually did look to be a male, and was fairly young; under a year old, probably. "Shh," he soothed as the cat let out a small yowl of protest. He gently moved fur away from the area, studying the injury quickly. It didn't look to be broken or fractured, but it had gotten scraped up pretty badly. "Good kitty," he murmured absently as he poured a small bit of the antiseptic over the worst of it.

He inwardly winced as the cat hissed at him, clearly upset by the stinging the liquid brought. Wally was forced to hold the poor feline still, the same guilty expression clear on his freckled face. Dick bandaged the leg, his fingers moving quickly and efficiently. He studied it for a moment before nodded. "He's going to be fine, Wally," he assured the speedster. "Just get traught."

Wally beamed, gathering the cat into his arms, running his fingers through its creamy fur. "It needs a name," he announced. His nose crinkled as he thought, face brightening suddenly. "Mr. Mittens!" he suggested.

"…We're not naming the cat Mr. Mittens," Dick said, glancing at the poor cat that he had just saved from a poor name. "Or Flash Junior," he added quickly, interrupting the speedster before he could speak.

"Well, what ideas do _you _have?" Wally asked, crossing his arms.

"Scout, Rebel, Scruffy, Kitsune, Felix, Burmie, Shadow..." Dick responded, counting off each of the names on his fingers. He looked at Wally, raising one eyebrow slightly. "I can go on."

Wally let out a small huff as he continued to stroke the cat, which seemed to like him now, purring and rubbing up against his stomach. "Scout's okay," he agreed slowly, glancing down. Big blue eyes met him, and the cat let out a small _mrrp. _"But I dunno. It doesn't seem to fit him." His face brightened as an idea hit. "Asher!" he shouted triumphantly.

Dick glanced at the small, fluffy cat; he had to admit, the name fit him pretty good. "Asher it is," he agreed, reaching over to stroke his head. Asher's purrs increased in volume, and he rubbed his head up against Dick's hand. The acrobat somehow found himself with a cat on his lap, batting at his hand insistently every time he stopped petting. "He likes you," Wally pointed out with a grin. "Can we keep him?"

Dick wanted to. He really, really did. Asher stared up at him with those big blue eyes, and he felt himself melt inside. This must be what people felt like every time Dick used puppy-dog eyes. "I wish we could, but we're on our way to invade this evil laboratory in Florida, on the run from pretty much everyone. We can't," he finally said. "We should probably find his owner."

"I don't think he has an owner. He's really skinny, and he doesn't have a collar," Wally argued, clearly wanting to keep Asher despite logic insisting otherwise.

"Then we-" Dick began.

"We're not taking him to an animal shelter!" Wally interrupted, glaring at Dick as he protectively reached out to stroke Asher. "They'll euthanize him!"

"What if I find a no-kill shelter?" Dick suggested, though he didn't really want to give the small cat up either.

Wally shook his head stubbornly, and Dick let out a small sigh as he gathered Asher up in his arms. "Well, what do you want to do then? Go around every house in the neighborhood until we find him a new family?" he asked, not really serious.

"Yes," Wally responded simply. Dick raised an eyebrow before shaking his head slowly. "We'll ask people on one street only," he compromised.

"But…what if we don't find one by then? Can we keep him?" Wally asked hopefully, taking Asher from Dick.

"We'll talk about that if it happens," Dick responded. "Now turn right; there's a small neighborhood nearby."

Wally nodded, setting the cat down as he buckled his seat belt and started the car again. "…Are you sure we can't keep him?" he asked again.

"Yeah," Dick nodded. "I want to keep Asher too, Wally. But it just isn't safe. Do you really want Cadmus to get their hands on him?"

Wally shivered. "No…why would they care about a cat though?" he asked, brow furrowing in thought.

"Why does Dr. Anthony Lawrence seem to enjoy the pain of others?" Dick asked, shrugging.

"Good point," Wally conceded. "Should I just stop here?" he asked after a moment as he turned into the small neighborhood.

"Go ahead and go to the cul-de-sac," Dick instructed, peering around curiously.

Wally complied, albeit reluctantly, finally pulling to a stop at the end of the road. He picked Asher back up, the cat purring and rubbing his head against Wally's neck. He slowly got out of the car, not willing to even ask if people would take the cat. He was seriously adorable.

Dick was the one who took the lead, almost having to resort to shoving the speedster along for the first few steps. They soon found themselves knocking on some random person's door. A balding man met it, looking grumpy and not at all in the mood to be irritated. The booming barks of what sounded like three big dogs came from the back of the house. "What?" the man asked abruptly.

Wally glanced at Dick warningly, shaking his head in a clear gesture for him not to say anything to this man. This obviously wasn't a good home for Asher. Dick decided to ask anyway; there wasn't any point in going up to the door only to back away. "Would you-" he began.

"No," the man growled, slamming the door shut.

"Well," Wally huffed, glaring at the closed door. "No need to be rude."

"Get off my porch before I get my gun!" the man hollered back, his voice somewhat muffled through the door.

They hurried away quickly; once a safe distance was between them and the house, Wally couldn't resist the urge to shout back. "You don't have a porch, genius!" he yelled back, cupping his hands around his mouth.

The door swung open, and Wally looked down at Dick with wide eyes. "Run," Dick nodded, the two sprinting away, unable to help it as they began to laugh. Two uninterested people and one empty house later, the door was finally opened by a kind looking old man who reminded Dick a little bit of Alfred. Ignoring the pang of homesickness that immediately shot through him, Dick grinned as a little boy charged past him, blinking up at the two boys curiously. His face lit up as he spotted the cat in Wally's arms. "Kitty!" he announced excitedly, pointing.

Wally leaned down, nodding. "Yeah, kitty," he agreed. "We're trying to find this kitty a home."

The boy gasped. "Grandpa!" he said eagerly, glancing up at the older man. "Can we keep him?"

Sympathy sparked in the man's gaze as he noticed the bandaged leg and wide blue eyes. The loud purring emanating from the cat certainly didn't seem to hurt. "He's really good with people," Dick assured.

"Please, Grandpa?" the little boy pleaded, an eager smile on his face.

"I guess so," he agreed slowly, seemingly unable to say no. Dick shook off his surprise; he was half expecting the man to speak in a British accent. …He really _was_ missing home. Wally handed the boy Asher carefully, smiling as the boy giggled. "His name is Asher," Wally said. "Take good care of him, okay?"

The boy nodded excitedly. "I will!" he promised, wrapping his free arm around Wally's legs in a tight hug. "Thank you!" he practically shouted, finally releasing the ginger.

"No problem, kid," Wally laughed, ruffling his hair lightly. The boy beamed, racing inside, chatting excitedly to Asher. Dick waved goodbye to the man before they walked away. "So, I'm not the only one who thought he looked like Alfred, right?" Wally asked, leaning towards Dick.

Dick let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "Nah, I thought so too," he assured the speedster.

"Good. We're going to IHOP now, right?" Wally asked as they made their way back to the battered old truck.

"Can we just get fast food or something?" Dick asked, really wanting to get to Cadmus as quickly as possible. The sooner they did that, the sooner they could get home.

As if sensing what his friend was thinking, Wally nodded. "Sure," he agreed. "McDonalds?"

"That stuff is still nasty," Dick protested.

"Would you prefer Taco Bell?" Wally asked, hiding a snicker at his friend's expression.

"Fine. We can get McDonalds," Dick agreed, rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

* * *

Barry had crossed just crossed China for the eleventh time when his communicator crackled to life in his ear. He pressed it, huffing under his breath in slight irritation. Normally, he was fairly cheerful and easy-going. But his nephew had been gone for around five days now, which felt like months to a speedster. "What is it, Bats?" he asked, knowing that was the only person who would have reason to contact him right now.

"Flash. You need to slow down," Batman ordered immediately.

"I'm fine," Barry assured, speeding up, if anything. Though he wouldn't admit it, he was afraid to stop running. He was holding on to the hope that he would run into Wally or Dick during one of his rounds, and almost felt like if he stopped, he would be letting his nephew down. And that was something Barry would never do.

"You just started your twelfth lap around the world. You're pushing yourself to hard. Slow down," Batman repeated.

"I can't, Bats," Barry responded, now passing Russia.

"You're not helping Wally by doing this," Batman said suddenly. Barry stumbled slightly, but caught himself, continuing to run. "Maybe I will," the speedster retorted.

"Trust me; you won't. You want to keep looking and looking, but running yourself into the ground won't help."

"You don't understand," Barry muttered.

"In what way do I not understand?" Batman demanded with a growl. "My son has been gone for almost a week, Allen."

"Which is why you can't tell me to slow down!" Barry shot back. "I bet you've done nothing but sit in front of your computer ever since they disappeared! You've been working yourself just as hard, Bats, and don't even try to tell me that's not true."

That didn't stop Barry from slowing down just a little bit, though he kept running, refusing to stop completely. Batman and Flash didn't have very many similarities, but when it came to this, there were no differences between them.

They would never, ever stop looking for the kids they had come to consider their sons.

* * *

**A/N **Anyone who can tell me the breed of the cat gets an invisible, untouchable Batmobile. ;) And is it okay with you guys if I go ahead and skip to when they get to Florida? I think that's what I'm probably going to do; I have some stuff planned that I really want to get to, and I keep getting writers' block for this road trip.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Guest that reads: I would love to drive with Wally and Dick, lol. Thanks for the review!

Don'tWalkUpStairsBackwards: Aw, thanks! It's really nice to know someone likes my writing that much. ^^ -hands box of tissues- Will that cover it? ;) And I try to update every 2-3 days...but it depends on how much inspiration I have for the next chapter. I guess I have Flash fingers. ;) Nothing I ever write will be slash...I don't read or support it. Uh, David probably won't show up in any other chapters...unless I get a random plot bunny, he was just a one-time thing. And I used to watch Veggie Tales all the time growing up; I still have fond memories of it. ^^ Thank you so much for the review and kind words!

Guest: Is this soon enough? ;) Thanks for the review!


	18. Florida

**A/N **I think this is my longest chapter yet. I feel like it's a bit rushed at the end, but I really wanted to get through this part. Here's the promised action though; there's plenty of angst coming. ;)

**Disclaimer **Logic claims I don't own Young Justice. (but who cares about logic?)

~Aiva

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Wally asked, for what had to be the tenth time.

Dick focused on his breathing in order to not snap at the impatient speedster. _In, out. In, out._ "The answer isn't any different from the last time you asked me," he finally responded, voice impressively even. "Which was two minutes ago."

"Really?" Wally asked, sounding surprised. "It feels like longer than that."

Dick glanced at the map they had picked up since Quincy was broken, squinting at the tiny lines as he struggled to decipher them. "We're almost there," he announced, a subtle note of relief edging the words.

"Yes!" Wally cheered, a wide grin forming on his freckled face. A few seconds passed. "So…are we there _now?"_ he asked.

Dick groaned, resisting the urge to slam his head into the dashboard. "Wally, I promise I will tell you when we're there if you stop asking me," he said, grip tightening on the map in his hands.

"…Can you tell me how much longer?" Wally asked tentatively after a moment.

"Around ten minutes," Dick answered, struggling not to sound annoyed. "But we're going to have to walk some after that. Do you remember the plan?"

"Something about sneaking up to the building, hacking, running in, hacking some more, and getting out," Wally guessed, remembering some details.

"Close enough," Dick shrugged. It was a really simplified, condensed version of his plan, but if that's what the speedster remembered, he wasn't going to go over every single detail again. It would work, and if it didn't, they were excellent at improvising.

* * *

He had made a promise to Dick: that he would never leave him and he would always come after him. Right now, Bruce couldn't help but feel that he was breaking that promise. Alfred had practically kicked him out of the Batcave at this point, and the manor, saying something along the lines of "You're making these halls even darker than usual, Master Bruce, and I refuse to allow Master Richard to come home to such depression. Now go do something productive before I call Clark to come and drag you away from that computer." Once Alfred ordered you to do something, you did it. The English butler was not a force to be reckoned with.

Bruce had been attempting to gather some more information, but he could easily make do with what he had. So he took the opportunity to fly the Batwing up to Charlottesville, Virginia. He was determined to find clues to where Dick could be heading, and to where Cadmus could be. Unfortunately, fate was determined to be cruel and keep him from doing so. He had even been able to find out where the specific location was; some random hiking trail that wasn't used all that often. However, there was nothing there. A quick search of the closest buildings revealed the same thing; nothing.

If it weren't for the protective gauntlets on his hands, his nails would've broken skin long ago, his hands clenched into tight fists. An unfortunate tree was his victim as an angry blow slammed into the trunk, sending splinters of bark flying. Ignoring the possibility that he could've just broken his hand (it sure hurt like he had) Bruce slammed his fist into the tree again, anger coursing through him.

Why couldn't he find any leads? He was used to this on the occasional case; on particularly difficult ones, it could be weeks before he found any possible clues. This was different though; he was more desperate than he was in any attempted bombings, any threats of another poisonous gas seeping through Gotham. This was his _son, _and Cadmus had taken him, for reasons unknown. Dick was also on the run, for reasons unknown.

Basically, if Bruce Wayne was Bruce Banner, he would've turned into Hulk long ago. Frustration fueled every movement as he stalked away from the scene; there was nothing left to do there anymore. He was still breaking his promise to Dick, and there was nothing Bruce could do about it. That's what killed him the most. He could sit in front of the Batcomputer for ages, but that didn't mean he would find anything. All of his leads had been explored or revealed nothing; this one had turned out to be a dead end as well. There really was nothing he could do.

Bruce was prepared to fly back and sit in front of the Batcomputer for hours on end anyway, but Alfred's temporary banishment would still be in place. That meant there was only one thing for the enraged vigilante to do; beat up some low-life, pathetic criminals. Though only his mouth could be seen from underneath the cowl, the look on his face was best described as terrifying as he searched for any felons unlucky enough to cross his path.

* * *

"Are-" Wally began, but was cut off by a dangerous glare from Dick.

"Before you ask, yes, we're here," the acrobat responded testily. "Just find a place to park, and then we'll start walking."

"Finally!" Wally grinned, his friend's irritation ignored in the rush of elation that filled the speedster. He wasted no time in pulling into a thrift store parking lot, jumping out of the car eagerly. He stretched his legs, relishing the feeling of not being crammed into that tiny vehicle. It was almost a form of torture.

Dick didn't bother stretching, simply walking the kinks out of his muscles as he consulted the map a final time. "This way," he said, nodding in the desired direction.

Wally, surprisingly, walked a bit slower than normal. Then again, maybe it wasn't all that surprising considering where they were going. Cadmus wasn't exactly on his list of top ten places to visit. He knew it wasn't on Dick's either. Wally glanced over at his best friend, green eyes quickly noticing how tense Dick was, the barely noticeable fear that underlay every movement. "We'll be okay, Dick," he spoke up, sensing his friend needed the assurance even if he didn't admit it.

Dick flashed him a grateful glance that soon settled into a cocky smirk. "Of course we will," he agreed. "I'm called the Boy Wonder for a reason."

"Funny. I thought you were called Boy Blunder," Wally grinned, nudging the smaller boy with his elbow.

"Hilarious," Dick responded sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Both of them were just messing around, trying to lighten the mood before jumping into what was sure to be a dangerous situation neither of them actually wanted to be in.

"At least you appreciate my amazing sense of humor," Wally nodded, grin widening.

"My voice was practically dripping sarcasm," Dick pointed out, a small laugh edging his words.

"You just don't want to admit I'm funny," Wally said, crossing his arms. "Looks like I'm not the only one in denial."

"Hah! So you _are _admitting you're in denial!" Dick grinned. "You and Artemis were made for each other."

"What?" Wally yelped, eyes widening. The expression on his freckled face was comical, and Dick couldn't help but snicker. "No! No way! We are _not _into each other!"

"I heard you talking in your sleep," Dick remembered. "You were hugging a bag of golf clubs saying Artemis's name over and over again." He batted his eyes, attempting to imitate the speedster. _"Artemis…" _he whispered dreamily, before bursting into laughter again, unable to keep a straight face.

Wally's cheeks flushed a vibrant red, nearly hiding his freckles. "I do _not _sound like that," he protested.

"But you aren't denying that you said it," Dick replied, crossing his arms triumphantly as Wally began to sputter, unable to form a coherent response. Dick laughed harder, but stopped suddenly, muscles visibly tensing. His body was as taught as a bow string, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Wally followed his friend's gaze, feeling his heart sink as he did so. There it was. Another Cadmus building. Not that that it said Cadmus on the front; that would be stupid, considering the lab they had destroyed in July and the League's interest in them, which could've only increased now that Wally and Dick were missing. But it was still a Cadmus building, hiding under the name of a different company. According to Dick, though, this one had all of the sublevels, and all of the information they would need.

Wally cleared his throat after a moment. "So, what now?" he asked.

"Now?" Dick repeated, glancing over at the speedster. "Now we do what we do best. Cause chaos." All he needed was time to find and download the needed information, and he already had an idea of what files to search for the information. So that meant maybe ten minutes tops. They would have to go down to the deeper sublevels though; it was unlikely the computers on the surface had the same amount of information the others would, just for precautionary reasons.

Wally got a mischievous, almost evil grin at that comment. "How much chaos?" he asked.

The same grin was mirrored on Dick's face. "As much chaos as you can possible create," he answered. "Just save it until we get into the sublevels." He was aware he was giving permission for a hyperactive, revengeful speedster to basically be insane and even more hyperactive, but Dick could care less. Cadmus, quite honestly, deserved that and more. Like nuking the place sky high…but that could be saved for another day.

Wally cackled, a sound eerily similar to the laugh Dick would produce. It was enough to make most people stop cold in their tracks. "This is going to be fun," he grinned.

Dick walked through the door, noting how empty the place was. It was just the employees, and maybe two customers. Perfect for what he had planned. He locked the door behind him, glancing at Wally as he reached into his belt. "Cover your nose and don't breathe it in," he instructed quickly, tossing some pellets onto the floor near the counter. A green gas seeped out, filling the room and knocking the people out. It dissipated just as quickly, a result of a new formula Batman had come up with.

Dick uncovered his face, Wally doing the same as the two walked past the unconscious people. Dick felt a little bit bad about knocking out innocent civilians, but he couldn't risk any alarms being set off before they even went into the real Cadmus. Cameras could reveal what had happened…if Dick hadn't already taken care of that. Shorting out cameras covertly was a lot of fun, really.

They stepped onto an elevator marked "Employees Only", dismissing the sign completely as the doors slid smoothly shut behind them. Dick was about to press the button, but Wally stopped him.

"Can I press the button?" he asked eagerly.

"No way! You pressed the last one!" Dick argued.

Wally stuck his tongue out, pressing the down button anyway. They rode in a tense silence before Dick stopped the elevator, stepping out onto sublevel 21. How he knew where to get off at, Wally wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to question it either.

They were running before the doors had fully shut behind them, Dick taking a series of turns before arriving at a collection of monitors. "Let me hack in, and then we'll super speed out," Dick said. "Cause as much chaos as possible, and meet back up here in five minutes." Normally, he would hack the cameras too, but that would slow down the process of downloading the needed information, and finding it. The best thing to do was to let Wally wreck as much stuff as possible without being caught, which would keep any watching eyes off Dick, focused instead on the destructive speedster.

Wally nodded, a grin spreading on his face as he realized he would be able to run. He hadn't been able to do that since fighting that Cadmus lady in the alley, and even then it hadn't been really running…just moving a bit faster than normal. The speedster raced off, a gust of wind marking his exit. Dick started hacking immediately, tapping on a keyboard fervently as he plugged a small flash drive into the computer that would download the information. He browsed through files quickly, eyes skimming over the words and strings of computer code, aware of the seconds ticking by far too quickly.

He finally found the needed file, and he started downloading it, reading it as he did. Dick's blue eyes widened, face growing steadily paler as his brain processed the words. This…was not good. Not good at all.

* * *

Wally raced through the halls as loudly as possible, laughing the entire time. This _was _kind of fun, actually, and Cadmus totally deserved it. Wally didn't feel the slightest bit guilty as he knocked over some expensive looking science equipment and rammed into a pod, sending it crashing into the ground with a sense of satisfaction. He had managed to damage quite a bit of the sublevel before a small figure caught his eyes, much more different than the scientists he had been evading and tormenting for the past few minutes.

_What the heck? _Wally thought, confused. He turned around, green eyes narrowing as he glanced at her again. It was a little girl. What the heck was a little girl doing in Cadmus? Wally probably didn't want to know, judging by the scars lining her thin arms. The speedster skidded to a stop beside her, realizing she probably wasn't a threat. "Hey, kid," he called out.

The girl froze, and expression of pure panic forming on her face. "No!" she shrieked, raising her hands defensively as she curled up into a ball on the floor. She was shaking, and Wally's eyes narrowed as he noticed the tears coursing down her face.

He hesitantly reached out, placing a gentle hand on her back as he tried to comfort her. "Calm down," he said softly. "I'm one of the good guys, I promise."

The girl sniffled, raising her head. Desperate hope filled her eyes, but fear was apparent on her face. "How…how do I know you're not lying?" she asked.

"C'mon, I was just running around at the speed of sound. I'm Kid Flash," Wally responded, a smile forming on his face as he continued to try and calm the kid down.

Recognition flitted across her face, and she relaxed visibly, though she was still tense and nervous. She uncurled herself, standing up as she sniffed back the fresh tears that threatened to pour out. She looked like she was five or so at most, though her small stature made her seem a bit younger. "We'll get you out of here," Wally promised, holding out his arms to pick the girl up.

She hesitated, then scurried into his embrace, clinging onto him desperately, as if she was afraid he would leave her. Wally quickly noticed how thin she was, and the scars were even more obvious this close. Wally hated Cadmus before, but now it was going to burn for sure.

"We're going to run now, okay?" Wally spoke up. The girl nodded, arms tightening around his neck as the speedster started to run, making his way back to Dick in a matter of seconds.

* * *

Dick glanced up as Wally raced back into the room, the file nearly downloaded. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it as quickly as he noticed the figure in Wally's arms. There was no other way to say it; she was adorable. Thick lashes framed brown eyes, and a few freckles dotted the bridge of her nose. Her hair was blonde, forming little ringlets that framed her pale face. Dick noticed the scars lining her arms, marring her skin. She was clearly another Cadmus experiment, which was the sickest, most horrible thing about all of this. She was just a kid, barely old enough to go to school. Yet her eyes held more sadness than most adults.

"Who is she?" Dick asked, glancing back up at Wally, who shifted nervously.

"I don't know, but we have to get her out of here," Wally answered, green eyes anxious.

Dick nodded, glancing at the monitor screen. His face was still pale, but he forced himself to look a bit more composed now that there were people here. "Just a few more seconds," he informed, before looking back at Wally, deadly serious. "I found out what they were doing to us," he said.

Wally stiffened, glancing up at the screen. "What?" he asked, both awaiting and dreading the answer.

Dick shook his head, suddenly pulling the flash drive out. "Later," he responded, moving towards the door. "We have to go _now." _The other screens revealed a decent-sized group of scientists and genomorphs heading towards them, closing in quickly. Wally nodded, forced to go at a normal speed as they raced out. He couldn't carry two people at once while running, not safely, but he wasn't about to leave Dick behind, not ever.

Dick had other ideas, his mind quickly calculating escape routes, possibilities, and chances. "Wally, run," he instructed.

"What?" Wally asked, eyes widening.

"Run," Dick repeated, slipping the flash drive into Wally's pocket. "I'll be right behind you, I promise."

"You really think that will work? This is just like the training simulation, Dick, and I'm not leaving you down here," Wally argued stubbornly.

"Civilians first, Wally!" Dick reminded, stress making him snap. "Get the kid out, and wait for me. I'll meet up when I can."

"You're sacrificing yourself and you know it!" Wally shouted, unable to keep himself form raising his voice as frustration coursed through him.

"Maybe I am!" Dick shot back. "But you have to get her out. Come back for me later, Wally!"

This was a nightmare situation. Wally knew the chances of all of them getting out were...zero, really. Normally he'd be content to be captured right along with Dick, but this time was different. This time he had a little girl in his arms, quite clearly needing to be rescued. He couldn't let Cadmus get their hands back on her. The speedster honestly didn't know what to do.

"Wally, I promise I'll be okay. I'll get out, and if I don't, come back and get me. But you need to get her out," Dick continued, desperate now. It wasn't just that the girl needed to get out, though that was a huge part of it. Dick also didn't want Wally to have to be tortured again. It was bad enough when he was being tortured, but when his best friend was going through the same thing beside him? It made the pain even worse.

"You promise?" Wally asked, hating himself for even thinking about agreeing.

"I promise," Dick repeated, offering the ginger a small smile. "Now go!"

Wally ran. He knew that action would probably haunt him until his dying day, but he ran, the world blurring around him as the wind whipped through his hair. Tears stung his eyes, but he would blame the wind if anyone asked. _Dick, I'm sorry, _he thought.

* * *

Dick actually managed to cover quite a bit more distance before he found himself trapped. Stupid wrong turn, stupid genomorphs, stupid scientists… _Sorry, Wally, _he thought, quickly realizing he wasn't going to be getting out of this. That wouldn't stop him from trying. He pulled several birdarangs out of his utility belt, throwing them with careful accuracy. Most of them made their mark, a scientist and a few genomorphs dropping like stones. There were still plenty more though.

Dick flipped and dodged with an ease that came from being an acrobat and patrolling Gotham, managing to evade them for a good little while. A scientist got lucky though, jabbing a taser into his side. Electricity coursed through his body painfully, and Dick dropped to the ground. Blackness threatened to overwhelm him, creeping in at the corners of his vision. He managed to resist unconsciousness, snippets of conversation reaching his ears.

"I can't believe it! We actually caught him! I bet I'm finally going to get that raise now."

"Idiot! He's not unconscious yet!"

"So? I just got him with a _taser!_ He's not getting up anytime soon."

"You really want to take any chances?"

"No…"

Dick was briefly aware of electricity ripping through him again before he sank into blackness.

* * *

Wally paced on the sidewalk near the Cadmus building anxiously, seconds turning into minutes. His worry was increasing steadily, green eyes staring at the entrance desperately, silently pleading for Dick to come out. Ten minutes passed; there was still nothing. The girl beside him tugged hesitantly on the hem of his shirt, stopping him.

"What?" he asked, fighting hard in order to not vibrate.

Solemn brown eyes met nervous green ones. "He's not coming out, is he?" she asked softly, her voice sad.

Wally hesitated, then shook his head, hating himself even more.

* * *

**A/N **Eh, I think this one could've turned out better, but I'm going on vacation soon, so I wanted to get this up. What do you guys think though? Is it okay? The girl's history will be explored in upcoming chapters, for those of you who are curious. As for what Cadmus is doing to Wally and Dick...well, I'll let you see. I'm deciding to torture my readers. ^^

Oh! And Asher is a Birman; Magpie of Silver guessed right. Congratulations, and all of that. ;)

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Guest: Atlanta Aquarium? Next time I go on a road trip, I'll have to check that out. ^^ Thanks for the review!

Don'tWalkUpStairsBackwards: Yeah, you'll be needing the tissues soon. ;) Glad you liked my Flash fingers, lol; it's alliteration too! And to answer your question; yeah, Cadmus will come in soon. XD And there'll be plenty of action too. Thanks for the review!

fanficfantasies: I added another Batman moment. ^^ Hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for the review!

Guest that reads: Thanks! It took me a minute to come up with that, lol. I think I got it from the Giver or something...

GhostDog401: Lol, that's okay. I'm glad you liked the Barry and Bruce moment; I really liked writing that one. ^^ Thanks for the review!


	19. Hope

**A/N **Thank you so much for all of the reviews! I'm so excited; this story finally made it past 250.

Prepare yourselves, guys; here comes the angst. ;)

**Disclaimer **I sort of own the little girl. That's about it.

~Aiva

* * *

Dick fought the urge to moan as his throbbing headache immediately assaulted him. His blue eyes slid open, quickly shutting again from the bright light overhead. _Whoever thought it was a good idea to put bright lights over an unconscious person, _Dick thought, gritting his teeth, _is an idiot. _Eyes finally adjusting, he struggled to raise his head, glancing around. He was in a fairly small, lab-type room. In a welcome change of pace, he wasn't trapped inside a pod…then again, being strapped to some sort of examination table wasn't exactly much better.

The situation got much worse when the door opened, a sadly familiar figure walking through, a sadistic smile on his face. "Ah, Richard. I'm glad you could finally join us," Dr. Anthony Lawrence greeted, shoes tapping on the tiled floor as he moved closer. Dick found himself tugging at the thick straps holding down his arms and legs, not wanting to be anywhere near the twisted scientist. Finally admitting defeat, Dick glared at him with icy blue eyes. "What do you want?" he asked, a growl edging his voice that would make Batman proud.

Dr. Anthony Lawrence chuckled, a low sound that somehow sent a shiver down Dick's spine. He hadn't been able to read much of the file, what with the imminent danger of being captured looming over him, but he had managed to read some of what Cadmus had in store for him, as well as their true purpose for the experiments. None of it was good, and Dick had to fight the strong urge to panic. He didn't show it, anger hardening his features in place of fear. "I thought we had covered that last time," the scientist responded, brown eyes meeting blue ones.

Dick scowled. "Not in the mood," he snapped. He really, really didn't want to deal with this crap.

"Straight to business then," Dr. Anthony Lawrence said, picking up a syringe and examining it carefully before setting it back down. "I assume you know why you're here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. He knew fully well the boy had hacked into Cadmus systems, mildly impressed with how far he had managed to get.

Dick's muscles tensed further, his face hardening. "You want to break me," he answered, anger edging the words, "Turn me into your own personal soldier." He had to fight the sudden urge to shiver at the gleam that appeared in Dr. Lawrence's eyes.

"Precisely," the scientist nodded.

Dick snorted, rolling his eyes to accompany the cynical sound. "Good luck with that," he responded. "People have tried to break me before. Never really worked out."

"You had Bruce to save you then. He's not coming this time," Dr. Anthony Lawrence reminded.

Dick's glare grew even more intense at the mention of Bruce's name, reminded harshly about how much this man knew. "You forget about Wally," he shot back without hesitation. "He-"

"He won't be coming either," Dr. Lawrence interrupted, a smirk on his face. Dick felt his blood run cold, but he shook off whatever doubts plagued his mind. "Do you honestly think he even had a chance? Who says he escaped? Who says he's alive right now?"

Dick shook his head, stubbornly refusing to believe it. Wally was fine. He had only left on the thought that he would come back. Nothing would happen – _could _happen – to the speedster. Wally wasn't one to break promises. "I do," Dick said firmly, taking a second to find his voice again. "Have you ever tried to keep a Flash down? It doesn't work very well, believe me." A small laugh accompanied the words, though it was clear it was fueled by nervousness rather than actual humor.

"He's dead," Dr. Anthony Lawrence stated bluntly, voice ringing with smug triumph. "I killed him myself."

Dick shook his head. There was no way what this creepy scientist was saying could be true. "What about the girl?" he asked, struggling to pick holes in the statement, trying to find flaws, to prove the lies within it.

"Terminated, like it should have been long ago."

Dick gritted his teeth, pure anger rushing through him. "She is not an it!" he shouted. "And Wally isn't dead, no matter what you say!"

"No need to shout," Dr. Lawrence reprimanded lightly. "If you don't believe me, I can show you." He pulled out an iPad like object and bringing up a video feed. It was Wally and the girl. They were on a different floor, judging by the unfamiliar walls around them, and they were surrounded. It looked like actual security guards had finally made an appearance, meaning they were probably fairly close to the surface.

The girl was standing on the floor beside Wally, eyes wide as she stared at their opponents helplessly. Even from the grainy video feed, it was clear she was shaking. Wally had a look of grim determination on his face as he used his super speed to dash around. He stopped when he caught sight of a gun…pointed directly at the kid. Dick flinched as the trigger was pulled, wide eyes staring at the screen, watching the events unfold, not willing to believe what happened next. Wally, ever the hero, leapt in front of the girl, the bullets catching him in his chest.

"Wally!" Dick shouted, face paling as he struggled against the straps holding him down. He was unable to look away as his friend, practically his older brother, collapsed on the ground, blood already pooling underneath him. He didn't get up as the trigger was pulled again, the girl falling limply to the floor next to him. "No…" Dick whispered, unable to help the tears that filled his blue eyes. He didn't want to believe it, but…he just _saw _it. He had just seen someone he loved die all over again.

A choked sob slipped out of Dick's throat, Dr. Anthony Lawrence forgotten as tears followed. He felt just like he had all those years ago, helpless beside his parents' broken bodies. He squeezed his eyes shut, but the image remained branded into his mind, torturing him over and over again. "N-no," he repeated in between gasping breaths, all semblance of composure lost in the grief that overwhelmed him. He didn't react when the scientist left, body shaking with harsh sobs. He stopped trying to escape; it was pointless, anyway. And he didn't even want to think about escaping, not when Wally never had those chances again. His heart ached, that familiar hole growing inside of him.

His brother was gone.

* * *

"I'm sorry," the girl whispered, tears forming in her brown eyes as she stared up at the ginger. "I-it's my fault. If y-you hadn't f-found me, you c-could've gotten out. B-both of you."

"Hey," Wally interrupted softly. "Don't cry. It's not your fault, okay? And we're going to get him back. Everything will be fine, you'll see." He held out his hand, trying to offer some comfort though he wanted to do nothing more than to go back in there and rip Cadmus apart. He needed a plan first; he wasn't going to risk this rescue mission failing, not when so much was at stake. For now, though, this girl needed him. "So, what's your name?" he asked, trying to distract them both.

The girl slipped her hand into his, offering him a small smile as she responded. "Subject 287," she answered softly, rubbing her arm uncomfortably as the words slipped out.

Wally shook his head. "Don't you have a real name?" he asked, feeling a new anger boiling inside of him.

She shook her head, blonde curls bouncing with the movement. "No," she said slowly.

"We'll have to pick one then," Wally grinned, putting a cheerful mask on for her sake.

"…I like Hope," she suggested hesitantly.

"Hope it is," Wally agreed, squeezing her hand lightly. He couldn't help but think about how fitting the name was, considering their situation and where she had just escaped from. "So, Hope, how about we get something to eat?" he asked.

Her small face lit up at the mention of food, and she nodded eagerly. Wally led the way, walking down the sidewalks in search of some place to eat. He soon stumbled upon a small café, a sign on the window proclaiming it had internet access. Wally opened the door, the mouthwatering scent of pastries and coffee greeting him immediately. Hope's brown eyes widened, and she stepped happily in, clearly pleased to be in such a new and "exciting" place. Wally grinned, taking her hand again and walking up to the counter. Hope's excitement quickly turned into shyness as the cashier greeted them. "What would you like today?" she asked, giving Hope a friendly smile.

Hope hid herself behind Wally's leg, burying her face in his jeans shyly. Wally's eyes quickly scanned the menu, and he tapped her on the head lightly. "Have you ever had a donut before?" he asked Hope. She shook her head, brown eyes blinking up at him curiously. "We'll have to fix that then, huh?" he continued, grinning again as he turned back to the cashier. "We'll take a box of the chocolate frosted," he said, pulling out some money left over from the Wal-Mart thing. "And two cups of hot chocolate."

"We'll have it ready in just a sec," the cashier smiled, accepting the money and giving the redhead his change.

Wally and Hope were soon sitting at a small table, the younger staring curiously at her drink. "What is this?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in slight confusion.

Wally let out a dramatic gasp that made Hope giggle. "That," he answered, "is hot chocolate, one of the best things in existence." He took a long sip to prove his point, grinning at her.

Hope giggled again. "It looks like you have a mustache," she laughed.

Wally grabbed a napkin, wiping away the hot chocolate that lingered above his lip. "Try it," he urged, glancing back at Hope.

She hesitated, then took a small sip of the creamy liquid. Her eyes immediately widened, and she stared at Wally in awe. "This is the best stuff ever!" she proclaimed, eagerly taking another gulp.

Wally laughed, ruffling her curly hair. "Wait until you try the donuts," he grinned. He had already eaten four, and deciding he could take a break, he turned to a nearby computer that the café offered. He plugged the flash drive in, deciding to go ahead and look at it.

He had expected to find information on how Dr. Anthony Lawrence planned on killing their mentors and the Team. What he found was just as bad, if not worse.

His green eyes scanned the screen, face growing steadily paler with each word. It was all about what Cadmus was planning to do to them. It was an extensive list, all of them sounding torturous in some way. "They did some of that stuff to me," Hope spoke up suddenly.

Wally turned around, looking at Hope. Her feet swung in the air, her legs still a bit too short to reach the ground. Chocolate now smeared her face, a partially eaten donut in her hand. Her once innocent brown eyes were glazed over with dark memories of pain and suffering, a look _no one_ should ever have, much less a small child.

Wally pulled the flash drive out of the computer hastily, putting it back in his pocket. He couldn't read any more, not knowing that Cadmus was probably doing that stuff to Dick already. Just the thought sent a shiver down his spine. _Hold on, Dick, _he thought, _I'm coming, I promise. _Wally forced himself to act cheerful again, despite the rage coursing through him; he had to wear a smile, for Hope's sake. She had already seen so much, and Wally wasn't going to make it worse by scowling the entire time.

A small burp interrupted his thoughts, and Hope's cheeks flushed bright red. "Sorry," she mumbled, avoiding his gaze. Wally merely laughed. "I bet I can do better," he grinned, a large burp following the words.

Hope's nose crinkled in slight disgust, but she soon laughed, eyes shining as she giggled. "You're funny," she said suddenly. Her expression became more serious suddenly, brown eyes turning solemn. "Thank you for saving me," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "They were about to…about to…terminate me," she said, struggling to remember the word. "They said I was a failed experiment, and that I wasn't good enough."

Wally found himself hugging her, arms wrapping around her in a comforting embrace. "Don't listen to them," he responded firmly. "They don't know what they're talking about. You're always good enough."

"Thanks, Wally," Hope said, relaxing a bit in his arms. She pulled away from him to meet his gaze. "We're gonna save the other boy, right? He helped save me too. I want to say thank you."

Determination sparked in Wally's eyes, and he nodded. "Yeah, we're going to rescue him. I promise. Everything will be fine," he repeated.

* * *

**A/N **Just want to clarify a few things;

One, Dick was never able to find out for sure whether Wally escaped or not. Dr. Anthony Lawrence decided to torment him with that by showing "security footage" that made it look like Wally died. All part of breaking Dick...poor Dick.

As for the "turning him into a soldier" thing, that's going to be explained in further detail later, I promise. It just didn't fit into this chapter very well.

And Wally would've found out how Dr. Anthony Lawrence was planning to kill the League/Team if he had kept reading, but what he saw first was basically a list of the different tortures and experiments Cadmus was going to run on them, and knowing Dick was captured, Wally just couldn't read anymore. Doc's plans for killing them will be explained more too, I promise.

...I think that's it. If there's anything else that you were confused about, review and tell me, or PM me about it. And this will be the last update for a while; I'm going on vacation, and won't be able to work on this at all. I should be back around the beginning of next week. I'll have one up as soon as I can though.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

3v3ry1luvsm3: I love Spitfire too much to not put a little bit in here. ;) Thank you so much for the kind words!

Guest that reads: Hopefully this satisfied a bit of your curiousity; more information will come if it didn't. ^^ Thanks for the review!

fanficfantasies: I'll b telling you guys what Cadmus is doing soon, I promise. Thanks for the review!

Don'tWalkUpStairsBackwards: ...Will you need more tissues, or are you okay? ;) I'm glad Hope sounds cute; the goal is to make her as adorable as possible, lol. And yes, I did hear about what happened...it's so sad and horrible. I'm praying for all of their families and all of those injured already, and will continue doing so. Thank you so much for the review!


	20. Determination

**A/N **Sorry for the wait guys; but I'm back! I did have some writers' block for this chapter, and I caught a small virus, so sorry that this is a bit shorter than normal, and not as good as I would like...hopefully it isn't completely horrible though. Thanks to everyone who reviewed; I'm so close to 300! :D

**Disclaimer **I don't own constellations or Young Justice. Though that would be really cool...

~Aiva

* * *

It wasn't the ideal place to sleep, but a park bench was a bit better than a cardboard box, right? Wally stared at the wooden bench, giving serious thought to just sleeping in a tree. Hope cocked her head back, an expression of awe on her face. "It's the stars," she spoke up, voice soft as she pointed up. "I've never seen stars before."

Wally glanced over at her, then up at the sky. The sun had set not too long ago, but a few stars were already twinkling in the purple sky. Acutely aware of the sudden protective instinct that swelled up in him, Wally simply laid down on the ground, letting the grass cushion his head as he gestured for Hope to join him.

She did, her curious brown eyes meeting his gaze. "Why are we laying down here?" she asked, slightly confused.

"We're going to look at the stars," Wally answered, wrapping one arm around her as Hope rested her head on his chest, snuggling up next to him. It reminded the speedster a little of how Dick would act when he was younger, and even now after a particularly bad nightmare. He carefully moved some of the blonde curls away from her face, noticing the small knots in her hair. They probably both needed to brush their hair; actually, they probably both needed a shower. And Wally definitely knew he needed a toothbrush. Being on the run brought up a lot of inconveniences.

"That one looks like a spoon," Hope spoke up after a quiet moment. "And that one looks like a bigger spoon." She pointed towards two constellations, Wally following the gesture to look at them himself. "The small one is the Little Dipper," he explained. "And the big one is-"

"The Big Dipper?" Hope guessed.

Wally nodded, and was rewarded to see a small smile form on her face. "What other shapes are there?" Hope asked, peering at the sky curiously, brown eyes straining to make out any pictures.

Wally pointed to another constellation. "That's Hercules," he said.

"Who's Hercules?" Hope asked, the sentence slow as she struggled to properly pronounce the name.

"He's this guy from Greek mythology. Son of Zeus, super-strong, all of that," Wally answered with a slight shrug. Mythology wasn't his strong point; science explained things much better than old stories about imaginary, powerful beings.

"Wally, will you tell me a story?" she asked hopefully.

"Uh, sure," Wally agreed, a bit surprised, but willing to do it nonetheless.

"A story about you," Hope clarified. "You're nice."

"Well, what do you want to hear about?" Wally asked, shifting into a slightly more comfortable position.

"You said you were Kid Flash," Hope said, nose crinkling as she thought back. "Tell me a hero story."

Wally nodded, quickly thinking back. "How about when I first became Kid Flash?" he suggested, grinning at Hope's eager agreement. "Alright. Well, it all started when I found Uncle Barry's notebook. I looked inside, and found this chemical formula; it was the same mixture that gave Flash super speed. I always wanted to be like Flash, so I decided I would do the same thing. I would re-create the experiment, so I could become Flash's sidekick. I had some of the chemicals already, but others I had to sneak into Uncle Barry's lab to find. Finally, I had everything, and started mixing.

"I had gotten everything right, but the chemicals were more unstable than I thought. They kind of blew up in my face as I added the last ingredient; don't try that at home, by the way. I was in the hospital for that stunt," Wally added. Hope giggled, then nudged him, prompting him to continue. "The explosion kind of knocked me out, and when I woke up in the hospital, Uncle Barry was pretty mad when I explained what I had been doing. Something about how dangerous it was, how I had risked my life, how much I worried Aunt Iris…I was on some pain medication, so most of that conversation wasn't really clear.

"Anyway, I healed pretty fast, and that made me wonder if I actually had gotten super speed. There was only one way to test it, so as soon as I could, I ran. I ran so fast I was all the way across town before I fully realized what was going on. It didn't take me long to realize I had super speed. I spent two minutes just running around before I finally told Uncle Barry, and asked to be Flash's sidekick. He didn't want me to; he said it was really dangerous, but I managed to convince him to let me after a while. I think he just realized I'd go out on my own if he didn't train me," Wally shrugged.

Hope turned to look at him, brown eyes begging him gently. "…Can you tell me another story?" she asked, voice hesitating a bit as she interrupted anything else he might have added.

"Sure," Wally agreed, actually enjoying this. "What about?"

"About…the boy who helped to rescue me," Hope said, biting her lip nervously as she glanced at Wally again, hoping he would agree.

The speedster stiffened at the mention of his best friend, who was still trapped deep within Cadmus. All because Wally had left him behind. That was a decision that would haunt him the rest of his life; who knew what Dick was forced to go through down there? Wally had to try not to shiver as he recalled what he had read on the flash drive.

He allowed the tension to flow out of his muscles after a second or two, forcing the pain away. "You miss him," Hope commented, not really a question, more of an observation.

Wally nodded, running a hand through her blonde curls. "Yeah, I do," he said softly.

Hope, hearing the sadness in his voice, wrapped her small arms around his torso, nuzzling her face into his chest before offering him an optimistic smile. "We'll get him back. Just like you said. Everything will be fine," she assured. The fact that she was trying to comfort him was adorable and sweet, and Wally couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips.

"Thanks, Hope," he murmured.

The girl shrugged. "I'm only saying it 'cause it's true," she responded matter-of-factly. "You said it would happen, so it will. You wouldn't lie to me."

Her strong faith and trust in him made Wally blink in surprise before his small smile returned. He shoved any pessimistic thoughts aside, allowing himself to believe, just for a moment, that everything would work out.

* * *

Dick had run out of tears a while ago, his throat becoming raw from the harsh sobs long before then. Though he was exhausted, he couldn't fall asleep; the nightmares were bad on normal days. After watching his best friend die? Dick simply wasn't strong enough to face those nightmares yet, though he doubted he ever would be.

He really just wanted Bruce. He wanted his adoptive father to be there, to assure him that everything would be okay, even if it wasn't, because he was Bruce and he would _make _it okay. Though Dick's heart ached for his father to come, his mind insisted that wouldn't happen; Dick had covered his tracks well, and Cadmus had done the same. Bruce wouldn't be finding him.

Dick was stuck here, in these nightmarish labs, doomed to be tortured until there was nothing left. A snippet of conversation came back to him, his snarky words almost painful now.

"_Good luck with that," he responded. "People have tried to break me before. Never really worked out."_

Dr. Anthony Lawrence was oh-so-close to succeeding though. Dick was aware of this, but couldn't bring himself to put on that tough face. He felt cracked, broken, the scar running so deeply he doubted it would ever heal. He had to watch Wally die, just like he had watched his parents fall. Another memory rose up in his mind, this one older.

_He practically leaped into Bruce's embrace, his adoptive father's arms warm and reassuring, bringing that sense of peace Dick could get from no one else. "Bruce," he sobbed out, the memories painfully fresh. This often happened after nightmares, and Bruce would sit with Dick until he fell back asleep. "Bruce," he repeated. "I-it hurts."_

"_Shh, I know it does, Dickie. I know it hurts," Bruce whispered, rubbing soothing circles on the boy's back._

_"B-but it h-hurts so bad," Dick sobbed, all sense of composure gone. "I-it doesn't g-go away."_

"_It never really goes away, Dick. But you learn to be strong. They would want you to smile and be happy, Dickie-bird," Bruce responded, now rocking from side to side in an attempt to calm him._

"_I-I know. It's just h-hard," Dick whispered, sobs turning into gasping breaths as he allowed himself to relax, comforted by Bruce's presence. _

"_Most things are, Dick. But that just makes them worth fighting for."_

Dick's tear-filled baby blues slid open again. Even in his memories, Bruce managed to comfort him; then again, he didn't really expect anything else from the man who had basically become a father to him. It still hurt, the ache inside of him almost unbearable, but Dick pushed past it. Wally wouldn't want him to give in; he would want Dick to fight.

Hardened by grief, Dick's determination suddenly grew in intensity. He _would_ get out of here.

That resolve was put to the test when Dr. Anthony Lawrence walked in, looking pleased by something. Dick's eyes narrowed, knowing fully well the scientist was probably satisfied because of the torture he had just put him through.

"What do you want?" Dick asked, ignoring the rough quality the tears gave his voice, focusing instead on glaring as fiercely as possible. If looks could kill, Dr. Anthony Lawrence would be six feet under by now. "To tell me you're going to go ahead and kill the rest of the League now? Wipe out the Team?" he asked, bitter hate clear in his voice.

A chuckle came from the scientist that made Dick's blood boil with rage. If he hadn't been strapped down, he would've lunged at the man, ready to do some serious damage. Unfortunately, the straps held firm, and Dick was forced to continue glaring instead. "While that would be interesting to watch," he said, "I'm afraid we have more important matters to attend to."

"Like what?" Dick asked, blue eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

"You'll find out."

Did he ever mention how much he _hated _that response?

* * *

**A/N **...Still not happy with this chapter. Oh well. There'll be some massive angst coming up soon, by the way. Oh, and if anyone has anything they want Wally and Hope to do, I'm open to suggestions. ^^

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

KidnappingandCo: No spoilers, sorry. ^^ Thank you so much for the review!

Don'tWalkUpStairsBackwards: As long as your sure...I have tissues prepared just in case. ;) And lol, it's alright, I'd be trying to attack them through the screen too...you know, if I wasn't the one writing it. Anyway, thanks for the review! You always leave such nice ones; it really makes my day! ^^

Guest that reads: Yeah, and Dick's about to go through a bunch more too. ...Poor Dick. And Dr. Anthony Lawrence deserve things much worse than a pile of rubble. *evil grin* Anyway, thanks for the review!

fanficfantasies: Don't cry! *hands a tissue* But here...have this just in case. ;) And I won't kill Dick, I promise. He'll just be tortured big time...yeah. *coughs awkwardly* Thanks for the review!


	21. Nightmare

**A/N **I'm going to be going on vacation again for about a week. Not sure how often I'll be able to write, if I'm able to at all. So...you may not get an update for a little while. Sorry.

There's some torture in this chapter...just a heads up.

**Disclaimer **I own...well, I guess I do have my OCs, but since they're part of a world I don't own...yeah. I own nothing.

~Aiva

* * *

Hope had drifted off to sleep fairly quickly, still curled up next to Wally. Blonde curls partially covered her face, and she was holding onto Wally's shirt as if afraid to let go. Her lips were parted slightly, soft, snuffling snores escaping every now and then.

Wally was close to falling asleep himself, exhaustion making his eyes feel heavy and his thoughts sluggish. Stifling a yawn, he allowed his green orbs to drift shut, tense muscles relaxing as he gave in to the fatigue plaguing him. His eyes had been closed for a total of maybe two seconds before a soft whimper caused them to open again.

For a second, the speedster wondered if he had just imagined the sound. A quick glance at the small girl next to him got rid of that notion instantly. Hope's breaths were now ragged and rushed, an expression of pure panic clear on her pale face. Wally recognized the signs immediately; she was having a nightmare. Dick looked pretty much the same before he started screaming.

Wally winced as Hope whimpered again, a high-pitched terrified scream following the softer noise. She tossed and turned, flinching away as Wally reached out with a gentle hand to comfort her.

Wally frowned, concern shining in his green eyes as he sat up, adjusting Hope to a better position. He gathered up her small frame into his arms, rubbing her back and rocking back and forth. "Shh, Hope," he soothed, "It's alright. You're safe."

Hope's brown eyes shot open, wide and panicked. They looked around wildly, giving her the appearance of a cornered animal. She let out another small scream, struggling desperately away from Wally.

"No!" she shrieked, curling up into a defensive ball a few feet away from him, hands covering her head. Barely suppressed sobs edged the desperate word, and Wally felt that big brother instinct swell up inside of him again. He scooted closer, movements slow and careful as he struggled not to frighten her anymore. It was clear she was terrified, body now shaking as she sobbed, uncontrolled panic edging each harsh breath.

"Hope, it's okay. It's me, Wally. I promise, you're safe," he said softly, reaching towards her again. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, barely making contact before she shied away from him again, as if the simple touch burned her. "D-Don't," she sobbed out, making herself as small as possible as she tensed further, if possible. "P-please. I'm s-sorry. Don't h-hurt me. N-not again. Please!"

Wally froze, an expression of shock flitting across his face before anger coursed through him again. Cadmus…they had done this, to a girl who couldn't have been older than five. She had been forced to grow up there, enduring who knows what probably every day of her life up until now. And now they were haunting her dreams too, twisting her innocence until her childhood was destroyed.

He shoved the bitter hate aside, focusing on his concern instead; Hope needed him right now. Wally gathered her back up into his arms before she could fight against him. "Hope, I promise, I won't _ever _hurt you. You're safe now," he assured, ignoring the heat radiating off of the girl. As a speedster, he had a higher than normal temperature, but Hope was almost literally burning up. He was sure that if she was a normal human, she would be dead right now. As it was, it seemed like she was going to burst into flames any minute now.

Hope's panicked eyes flickered open, meeting Wally's gaze. "Wally," she whispered, wide brown eyes still glimmering with tears.

"I'm right here, Hope," Wally assured softly.

Hope was still trembling as she wrapped her small arms around his neck, burying her tear-stained face in his chest. "I-I thought…" she started shakily.

"Cadmus won't hurt you again," Wally promised, arms tightening around her.

Hope gradually relaxed, her body temperature slowly returning to normal as she did. "Thanks, Wally," she murmured, words muffled by his shirt.

"Hope…what exactly did Cadmus do to you?"

The question made the little girl freeze, and she shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it," she answered immediately, a hint of fear returning to her voice.

"It's alright," Wally comforted. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Hope didn't respond, other than to snuggle up closer to him. Wally continued to hold her as she slowly drifted off to sleep again, the tears drying on her pale cheeks. He glanced down at her, one question continuing to swirl around in his mind; what had Cadmus done to her?

* * *

Vision actually tinted red with rage, Dick was a bit surprised when Dr. Anthony Lawrence reached for the straps restraining him. The teenager's tear-filled, hateful blue eyes narrowed as his muscles tensed. Though his utility belt was gone – _again – _he could, quite simply, kick butt; something he planned to do as soon as he was free.

As if reading his mind, Dr. Lawrence chuckled, a low sound that only caused Dick's anger to skyrocket. "I wouldn't try anything," he advised, "unless you want Bruce to meet the same fate as Wallace."

Pain flashed behind Dick's eyes, quickly hidden by the now familiar look of absolute hate and bitter frustration. "I swear, if you ever harm any of them…" he growled, allowing the cold threat to trail off.

Dr. Anthony Lawrence chuckled again. "You'll do what?" he asked, clearly humoring the teenager.

Dick grit his teeth before an almost sinister smile flitted across his face. "I look forward to the day when you'll find out," he responded. Right then, he didn't sound like Dick…he barely sounded _human. _The pure, unadulterated anger in his voice was scary, honestly. He truly was looking forward to inflicting pain on the man who had hurt him so much. He had _killed_ his brother, and threatened his father. Basically, Dr. Anthony Lawrence was going to regret every being born.

The scientist wasn't fazed, actually looking pleased by Dick's reaction; the boy was starting to break already.

Dr. Anthony Lawrence merely tightened the straps, securing the acrobat more tightly. Dick knew this could be his chance to escape, while the straps were still being messed with. But he couldn't seize the opportunity, Dr. Lawrence's threats still fresh in his mind. He wasn't about to let someone else die because of him; he would prefer being electrocuted a hundred more times than have that happen again. His parents, his best friend…he had to watch all of it. And knowing Dr. Anthony Lawrence, he would probably make Dick watch the League's and the Team's death as well.

Dick wasn't going to let that happen. Ever.

So he contented himself with glaring, though it wasn't half as satisfying as a punch to the face would be. Dr. Anthony Lawrence picked up a scalpel, studying it for a moment before placing it back on the small table and choosing a different, small knife instead. Dick's blue eyes flitted towards the sharp object, and he let out a small snort, not showing any of the fear coursing through him. "Knives? That's a bit cliché, Doc," Dick commented, voice as mocking and harsh as he could possibly make it.

Dr. Anthony Lawrence smiled before shoving the blade into Dick's arm.

Dick flinched as the cold metal sliced through his skin easily, making a fairly deep-cut. It wasn't lethal, but it _hurt; _not that the Boy Wonder let that show. He simply gritted his teeth, face hardening as fiery pain shot from the wound. He wouldn't give this freak the satisfaction of hearing him cry out again. Those thoughts fled quickly as the knife was twisted cruelly, still embedded in the muscled flesh of his arm. Dick's blue eyes squeezed shut as he inhaled sharply, managing not to scream. He forced his eyes open again, glaring up at the scientist. "That all you got?" he asked, panting lightly.

In hindsight, that probably wasn't the best question to ask a psychotic megalomaniac. "Of course not, Richard," Dr. Anthony Lawrence answered. "We've only just started, after all." The knife flashed, catching the light of the fluorescent bulbs overhead before slicing into Dick's chest. He tugged the blade down until there was a line running down Dick's side, already bleeding profusely, staining the Flash t-shirt an even deeper red. Once again, it wasn't deep enough to be lethal, not puncturing anything important, like a lung. Or a heart. But it would definitely need stitches at some point.

The metallic scent of blood filled the room, and Dick swallowed hard, trying not to gag at the overwhelming scent. Tears were stinging his eyes again at this point, but he refused to let them fall, focusing on that flame of anger to keep him going. The flame was dimming through, beginning to be replaced by the sickening feeling of fear and the pain now throbbing through his chest and arm. Dr. Anthony Lawrence moved to the other side, stabbing him again, ripping through his skin and muscle with scary ease. The incision started at his shoulder, and ended up running almost all the way down to his wrist.

Dick couldn't help it, a short scream ripping through the air as the blade ripped through his body. The tears were really threatening to fall, prompted by the pain battering his bloodied frame. Dick could control that much though, blinking back the salty drops. The injuries suddenly burned white-hot, and a much louder scream followed the first as Dick squirmed, allowed only a little movement before both the restraints and the pain stopped him. Choking back the sudden sob that threatened to escape, Dick's baby blues shot open to see Dr. Anthony Lawrence putting antiseptic in the open wounds.

"We can't have them getting infected," he offered as an explanation, noticing the teenager's glance. Though he actually had a point for once, that didn't make Dick feel any better, and he held back another sob. "Sh-should've thought of that b-before you _stabbed _me," Dick managed to get out between gritted teeth, stumbling over the words.

Clearly enjoying this, Dr. Anthony Lawrence merely chuckled again as he pulled out a needle and thread, stitching up the wounds quickly and efficiently; he couldn't exactly have the boy bleed to death, after all. No, he had to stay alive, for…scientific purposes.

Dick squeezed his eyes shut again, trying to ignore the feeling of a needle sliding through his skin, and the increase of pain as the skin around the lacerations were tugged shut. He let out a small breath when it was over; well, for a few moments, at least. Dick wasn't sure what the scientist had in store for him next…he probably didn't want to know, either. Unfortunately, it seemed like he soon would anyway. Dick's eyes slid open as the straps holding him down were loosened, then undone completely, allowing the teenager movement.

Dick attempted to sit up, wincing at the renewed flash of pain that shot through him, making him gasp a little. Stupid Cadmus scientists, with their stupid knives. He was so not feeling the aster. His arms were jerked behind him roughly, cuffed together with handcuffs. Dick let out a small sound of pain at the harsh movement, that made his chest move while simultaneously jostling his arms. He shot Dr. Anthony Lawrence his best glare, but was betrayed by the thinly concealed pain that showed in his eyes.

The scientist gave that smirk of his, jerking the teenager off the table and onto the floor. Dick bit his lip, trying not to make another sound, despite the agony of his tortured body. Dr. Anthony Lawrence prodded him forward, obviously amused. "Remember, Richard," he commented, repeating his earlier statement, "We've only just started."

Dick was afraid to think about what was coming next.

* * *

**A/N **Not entirely happy with the last part of this chapter, but I really wanted to update before I became busy again. ;)

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far; Fugitive now has over 300 reviews! That's amazing, guys.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Nightingale: Oh, it's fine. ^^ Seriously, don't feel bad. Thanks for the review!

fanficfantasies: Wally's going to after Dick for sure; he's not about to abandon his best friend. ;) And...I don't know why I write such angst-y things. I just...do. This chapter is proof of that, lol. Thanks for the review!

x: Thanks! :D

Don'tWalkUpStairsBackwards: Yeah, I did; I had a lot of fun. Thanks for asking! ^^ Sorry I almost made you cry...again. This chapter probably wasn't any better, was it? I'm glad you think the big brother complex is cute; that was the goal! ;) And yeah, that would be an issue then...and Dick would pretty much be screwed. XD No rescue attempt for him...anyway, thank you so much for the review! :D

Guest that reads: Hmm...that would be fun to watch. I would push him into the pit. -nods- Thanks for the review!

Guest: Wally can never stay pessimistic for long, lol. Thanks for the review!


	22. Marks

**A/N **...I failed at updating; sorry guys. I didn't mean for you to wait so long; I was away, and then I had writers' block for a while. I only just finished this five minutes ago. It's about 200 words longer than the last chapter though...so, enjoy! Oh, and there is more torture in this chapter. Just a warning.

**Disclaimer **If I owned Young Justice, there would already be a new episode.

~Aiva

* * *

Dick took in every detail about the hallway they walked through, determined to remember everything in preparation for the time when he would escape. Because he would escape…right? It was only a matter of time.

The ceiling was fairly low, strips of fluorescent lighting illuminating the area. The tiled floor and white walls gave the corridor a clean, sterile feeling, increased by the faint smell of antiseptic. A new smell suddenly overwhelmed that one, and Dick fought the urge to gag as the metallic scent of blood filled his nose. He tried to ignore it, preferring not to think about where it could be coming from. Ignorance really could be a bliss at times.

He soon found himself in a rather small room, dimly lit and cast in eerie shadows that were probably more for dramatic effect than anything. Dick rolled his eyes; Cadmus _really_ needed to be more creative. At least he wasn't tied up in a warehouse again; he had actually lost count of how many times _that_ had happened. A few genomorphs stood in the room, glancing up at Dr. Anthony Lawrence, who gave a slight nod.

One stepped forward, taking Dick. The teenager had to repress a shudder as the cool skin of the creature made contact with his arms. He hadn't really had a chance to notice it when beating the things up before, but…they felt _different. _Probably because they were creepy experiments designed to do Cadmus's bidding, but still. Its skin didn't feel natural, rough and seeming to emit little body heat. It gave the impression that it was merely a robot of some sort; only the slight rise and fall of the genomorph's chest as it breathed told Dick otherwise.

Dick was shoved forward, the sudden movement tugging at his stitches painfully. The teenager bit his lip, ignoring the stabbing pains it sent through his chest. Whatever was coming, he could handle it. All he had to do was stay brave until he was alone; then he could let himself collapse, properly mourn the loss of his best friend, give into the pain continuously coursing through him. _Just a little bit longer, _he thought. _Just hold on until then._

Almost as if reading his mind, Dr. Anthony Lawrence spoke. "I'm surprised at how well you're handling this, Richard. After all, you did let Wallace die."

Dick's blue eyes became icy as he glared at the scientist, a snarl twisting his features. "It wasn't my fault!" he shouted, though the words didn't prevent the sudden guilt that surged through him. He focused on the hate inside of him instead, relying on that to keep him going.

"I think we both know you're lying. Tell me, what does it feel like to be responsible for another person's death? Didn't you let your parents fall as well?" Dr. Anthony Lawrence asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Dick's eyes widened fractionally before they narrowed into dangerous slits once more. "Don't say _anything _about them," he seethed. "You have no right to talk about them or Wally."

"I have every right, Richard."

Dick snapped, vision going red with rage as he managed to tear away from the genomorph, lunging at Dr. Anthony Lawrence with only one thought in mind; revenge. "No you DON'T!" he shouted, curling his hand into a tight fist. He aimed it at the scientist's head, wanting nothing more than to seriously injure the man who had hurt him so much. The genomorphs intercepted, pulling the furious teenager away and stopping him from doing anything but struggling vainly against their strong grips.

Panting lightly, Dick spat at the scientist's feet. Dr. Anthony Lawrence shook his head slowly, though an amused glint was clear in his eyes. "I suppose you don't learn much respect from a man who dresses like a bat," he commented. "I'll have to teach you that myself."

Dick gritted his teeth, blue eyes fierce and face determined. "Do your worst," he growled. That probably wasn't the smartest thing to say either, but right now, he didn't really care.

Dr. Anthony Lawrence chuckled. "I intend too."

Dick was forced to his knees in front of a simple tub of water. Okay, he could handle this. Water torture was, sadly, something he was familiar with this. He knew how to deal with it, how to get through it.

His head was shoved under.

The breath that Dick had been holding disappeared as the cold water hit him. Cold was an understatement, actually. It was frigid, a bitter chill that seemed to send icy needles into his face, taking his breath away as it tore painfully into his flesh. It took all of his self-control to go limp, to not fight against the powerful grip keeping him in the freezing water. Apparently, this genomorph was smarter than the average bear, because it kept him there.

Dick was able to hold his breath eight minutes normally, sometimes longer on good days. But the breath he had taken before had been knocked out of him as soon as the icy water made contact with his skin. Oxygen deprivation was setting in, and Dick couldn't help but struggle again as his vision started to go black. He couldn't get a breath, and the cold was making it hard to do anything. It was only that desperate instinct to live that kept him fighting.

He was drowning, heart racing wildly as his lungs struggled to take in air that wasn't there. He was going to die here, in this horrible lab. It looked like Dr. Anthony Lawrence didn't want him alive after all.

He was mere seconds away from becoming unconscious when he was pulled out of the water, gasping and shivering. Dick coughed up the water that had made his way into his mouth and nose, sucking in air greedily when he could. He was shaking like a leaf in the wind, unable to stop. Despite the chattering of his teeth, he managed an impressive glare, blue eyes almost as icy as the water. He couldn't manage words, still feeling a bit low on air.

He was allowed only one more breath before his head was shoved back under.

Then again, maybe being brave was overrated.

* * *

Morning came slowly. Wally felt like he had only just drifted off to sleep when the sun woke him up. Blinking open tired green eyes, he glanced down at Hope, who was still curled up in his arms. A small smile formed on his face, and he rubbed her back. "Hope," he called out softly.

Letting out a quiet murmur, she shifted positions, but didn't wake up. Smile growing, Wally shook her gently. "Come on, Hope. Wakey wakey eggs and bakey."

Brown eyes slid open, and Hope let out a big yawn, stretching her small frame before relaxing again. "Morning, Wally," she mumbled sleepily. She glanced around, her gaze finally settling on the redheaded speedster as her stomach growled. Her cheeks flushed, and Wally laughed. "How about we get some breakfast," he suggested.

Hope nodded, taking his hand and standing up. "Wally?" she spoke up, voice soft as she stared up at him. "Thanks for…waking up me up…after…" her voice trailed off awkwardly, face flushing a gentle pink again.

Wally smiled reassuringly, wrapping his arms around her in a gentle hug. "No problem," he responded easily. He pulled away, his arm accidentally hitting her sleeve and moving it up. Wally caught a glimpse of black, and looked closer curiously. His grin faded immediately.

"Hope…what is that?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

Hope backed away, covering the mark with her hand hastily. "It's nothing," she muttered, averting her eyes.

"That's not nothing, Hope," Wally said. Despite her efforts to cover it up, he had gotten a decent glimpse; it was a tattoo, black symbols etched into her flesh. S287F. The F was in a dark shade of red that made it look almost like it was written in blood; which it might as well have been. Wally honestly felt a bit sick to his stomach. The fact that Hope was having nightmares was bad enough, but the fact that they would actually tattoo a little girl? It made all of those feelings of rage return.

Hope bit her lip, shuffling her feet awkwardly. She could tell Wally didn't like this; it was painfully obvious, really. So saying what she was thinking of probably wouldn't help anything; she was going to say it anyway. He had a right to know. "Daddy made them do it," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Wally's eyes narrowed further, a bit of confusion now in the gesture. "Daddy?" he repeated. Hope had a father? Why on earth would a father let his daughter be experimented on in some sick lab, and tell them to give her a tattoo that marked her as just that; an experiment?

She nodded, biting her lip harder. "Dr. Anthony Lawrence," she explained. "H-he donated the DNA to m-make me."

Wally's eyes shot almost comically wide, face paling behind his freckles. There was no way that psycho scientist could be this kid's father. _No way_. But it was clear Hope wasn't lying; tears were threatening to spill over, and her body was tense, as if prepared to be knocked aside.

"Please, don't be mad," Hope continued, words spilling out quickly, as if in a rush to get out. "I wasn't _trying _to keep it from you, I just didn't know what to say, and I didn't want you to be mad at me and make me leave, because you're nice and I want to stay with you, and I don't know where to go, and they'll probably take me back, and I don't want to see Daddy, I don't want to die-"

Wally cut her off with a light touch on her shoulder. "Hope," he interrupted.

The girl sniffled, looking up at him with big brown eyes that were full of so many emotions it was painful.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm surprised, but the only person I'm mad at is Dr. Anthony Lawrence. He doesn't deserve to be your dad," Wally assured.

Hope's face lit up, and she wrapped her small arms around Wally's neck. "He's a bad Daddy," she agreed, burying her face in the speedster's shirt. "And I don't need one. I have a brother now, and he's the best big brother ever!"

Wally froze before his arms wrapped around Hope in return, and acting on instinct, he pressed his lips quickly against her head exactly like how a brother would do it to his sister. "And I have the best little sister ever," he responded.

Hope's smile could've rivaled the sun, and she snuggled deeper into his warm embrace. "Thanks, Wally," she said, voice muffled slightly by his shirt.

Wally stood, carrying her easily in his arms. "Now, how about we go get some breakfast?" he asked.

Hope nodded eagerly. "Can we get donuts?" she asked hopefully. "And hot chocolate?"

"'Course we can," Wally answered, a light laugh bubbling out at her excitement.

Hope suddenly turned serious again. "I think…I think I can help you get back in," she said softly. "To Cadmus, I mean. I kinda grew up there, you know?"

Wally froze again, hope sparking in his green eyes. Up until then, he had no plan to rescue Dick. Now…now he might have a chance to go after his best friend. It was clear that going back wasn't something Hope wanted to do though; her muscles tensed at the thought, and she shifted her weight in his arms uncomfortably as she spoke. But the determination in her brown eyes seemed to make up for that. Still, Wally hesitated. "Are you sure?" he asked, though part of him screamed not to even say that and just ask what plans she had. After all, if she backed out now…he wouldn't have a plan again.

Hope paused for a second, then nodded. "I'm sure," she said resolutely.

Wally grinned. "Alright, then, we'll eat and come up with a plan. You know, you don't have to come inside. Just tell me how to get in and out and I'll be fine."

Hope shook her head stubbornly. "No, you need me to be there. Besides, I'll have you. Daddy won't get me if you're around," she explained.

Wally was once again taken aback by how much faith the kid had in him. She trusted him completely, and Wally wanted to do everything to live up to that. "I won't let him get you, I promise," he assured, arms tightening around her slightly.

_We're coming, Dick, _Wally thought firmly. _Just hang on until I get there._

He refused to think that it might be too late.

* * *

**A/N **And surprise twist! Well, maybe not really; some of you could've seen it coming. Did anyone notice the similarities between Hope and Dr. Anthony Lawrence in terms of appearance? They both have blonde hair and brown eyes...Hope is just female, younger, nicer, and much cuter. I would just like to clarify; this doesn't make Hope evil. She won't be one of those characters that turns out to be working for the enemy, and stabs the good guy in the back. You can trust her, I promise.

Anyone who guesses why I picked S287F as the tattoo gets one of Alfred's cookies! I'll be explaining it next update. ;)

Hopefully, you won't have to wait as long for the next chapter. School is starting soon though, and I'm sorry to say I won't have as much time to write. I'll definitely be continuing this, updates just might be less frequent. Sorry about that guys, but there's not much I can do, lol.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Guest that reads: Yeah, Hope doesn't exactly have the best childhood...at least she has Wally though. ;) And Dick's having a pretty rough time too...I'll push Dr. Anthony Lawrence into the pit for you.

fanficfantasies: Was it that detailed? Sorry! Didn't mean to make anyone gag...this chapter and the last chapter are about as bad as it gets in terms of torture though. As for the challenge...I'm not sure. O.o Did I make you cry in this one? ...I really should change the genre to Angst...

Nightingale: Robin torture can be fun...despite how bad it sounds to say it. ;) And despite the wrath of an overprotective DaddyBats. *hides under bed from Bruce* I love writing that relationship between Wally and Hope; I'm glad you think it's sweet. ^^ Thanks for the review!

Bookworm winkS: Batman and Flash showing up...the moment would be so fluffy. :3 That won't happen for a while though...or will it happen at all? Find out next chapter; same Bat time, same Bat channel! (sorry, couldn't resist there) ;) Thanks for the review!


	23. Lost

**A/N **I have an update for you guys! Warning: it's depressing. I was going for tears while writing this...so...don't read it if you're easily depressed? I just thought I should warn you guys beforehand.

Anyway, time to tell you what the tattoo stood for. S=Subject, 287=Subject Number, F=Failed. shadowtail43 was the one who got it right; congratulations!

**Disclaimer **I still own nothing.

~Aiva

* * *

"Someone tried to help me get out once, when Daddy – Dr. Anthony Lawrence, first thought about…terminating me," Hope said softly, biting her bottom lip nervously. "Daddy made me watch her be killed. He said it was my fault…it kinda was. She got killed because of me. She would've been okay if she hadn't tried to help."

Wally slipped his hand around her smaller one, squeezing it reassuringly. Hope offered a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her distant brown eyes, and continued. "I think she was going to break into the computer, and pack them."

"Hack them?" Wally suggested, a grin tugging at his lips at the mixed up word.

Hope nodded. "Yeah, that. She…she gave me the codes. In case something went wrong. I don't think Daddy knew, 'cause he never said anything about it, and he would punish me when I did something wrong. I still remember the codes…I can help you get in, if you can get to a computer. They'll let you shut down Cadmus, I think."

That familiar spark kindled in Wally's green eyes as he squeezed Hope's hand again. "Thank you," he said softly, energy rising within him, demanding to be let out. He actually had to consciously stop himself from vibrating, and he wanted nothing more than to race out there right now and get Dick back. Unfortunately, he at least had to eat first; he wasn't going to risk another failed rescue attempt all because his accelerated metabolism got the better of him. Hope stared at him with wide brown eyes, biting her bottom lip again; something that seemed to be a nervous habit.

"You don't have to come in," Wally reminded gently, forcing himself to calm somewhat for the time being. "Just tell me the codes and wait outside. I'll be fine."

Hope shook her head, the small edge of fear now hidden behind stubborn determination. "I want to help," she insisted, crossing her arms. "Besides, you promised you wouldn't let Daddy get me."

Wally found himself hesitating anyway. Over the past couple of days he had been with Hope, he had developed a strong protective instinct towards her. She had already dealt with enough trauma in the past; he wasn't about to risk letting her be hurt again, not when he could do something about it. Then again, it was obvious Hope wasn't about to give up on this, and he had sort of agreed already. Or, at least, he hadn't outright said no.

"I'll be okay, Wally," Hope said, offering a small smile of reassurance. "You'll protect me."

Wally couldn't help but think of how adorable that kid was. Her big brown eyes could be so innocent at times, like now, full of a childlike faith that seemed unbreakable. Underneath that was that edge of sadness though, gained from both physical and emotional pain. Wally nodded, as an agreement to let her go, and as a promise to protect her.

Anything else that might've been said was interrupted as the waitress walked over to the table, the tray carrying the food they had ordered. The rich, familiar scent of hot chocolate and donuts wafted through the air, warming both from the inside out. Wally grinned at Hope. "Dig in," he invited, shoveling food into his mouth quickly.

After this, they were going to Cadmus.

* * *

Dick's blue eyes were barely open, and he sniffled occasionally, staring blankly at the opposite wall. He had been nearly drowned three more times, each time the possibility of death growing larger and larger. Honestly, it scared him. He had been close to death a lot of times, from a lot of different situations; bullets, knifes, explosions…you name it, he had probably been exposed to it. Other than falling, though, drowning was one of the most terrifying ways to die, in his opinion. Something about being trapped underwater, unable to breath, that sense of urgency that filled him and made his heart race as his body screamed for air…it was much worse than any bullet. At least that was quick, most of the time. Of course, as if that wasn't bad enough, they decided to torture his body more by simply sticking him in a freezer for a while.

The water had been icy, chilling his thin frame to begin with. Being stuck in a freezer only made it worse. By the time he was let out, his skin was literally tinted blue, and ice crystals had formed in the lingering water that drenched his hair and shirt. He had been stuck in one of those rooms that looked like a metal cube after that, and had warmed up enough to not be in danger of hypothermia anymore. At least when he was cold, though, his injuries didn't hurt as much. Now the sharp stabbing pains and dull aches were back, ripping through his nerve endings painfully.

After he had recovered partially from _that, _Dr. Anthony Lawrence decided to go back to mental torture. He had somehow managed to get a recording of the Flying Grayson's last performance, and forced Dick to watch them fall, over and over again. When he wasn't reliving that, he was watching bullets rip through Wally's body.

The teenager was about to give up. He had planned to keep fighting, for Wally, but it didn't seem to be worth it anymore. He couldn't escape even if he knew how; he definitely wouldn't be able to run fast enough to escape any genomorphs. And what did he have to live for? Bruce, maybe. But it was starting to become painfully obvious that his adoptive father wasn't coming; Dick was gone. Lost. It didn't seem like he would ever be found either.

He wouldn't become Dr. Anthony Lawrence's soldier; no, he would give up completely. The scientist couldn't do anything if Dick wasn't alive.

Dick was shaken out of that depressing train of thought as the lights flickered off. His heart started racing immediately, and every muscle tensed. This had to be some new torture. Any second now, something was going to jump out at him, or electricity would rip through his body. The lights finally winked back on, but the tension remained. He struggled to calm down, but found himself unable to as his apprehension built with every second that ticked by. Being kept waiting like this was a form of torture in itself; Dick just wanted to get it over with. Maybe then he could finally get a real break; he hadn't gotten one since…well, really, since he entered Cadmus again.

An oddly familiar rush of air could be heard outside; though it was muffled, it was unmistakable, and Dick's heart leapt into his throat. It sounded exactly like Wally running. Then his face paled; this was probably some part of the torture. They were going to let him believe Wally was alive, only to take him away again. Or they would just torture him with the sounds, cruelly reminding him that his best friend was gone.

The door slid open, casting a familiar shadow on the floor. Dick's blue eyes slid cautiously open, and his heart skipped a beat as he saw the figure standing in the doorway.

It was Wally. His unmistakable messy, ginger hair stood out prominently, and green eyes stared at Dick, filled with a mixture of relief and worry. Dick shook his head, turning away. He couldn't look anymore; this had to be some sort of illusion. He couldn't handle being tortured like this, tricked into thinking Wally was back. He just couldn't. A warm hand made contact with Dick's shoulder, and the teenager jerked away harshly, curling up even tighter in an attempt to get away. "You're not real," he muttered. "You're dead. I watched you die. You can't be real."

Wally's face paled slightly behind his freckles, and he dropped quickly to his knees beside Dick. Ignoring the shivers that racked his small frame, Wally wrapped his arms around him. "Shh, Dickie. I've got you," he murmured quietly, his voice low and soothing.

Tears escaped Dick's eyes as he shook his head. "Stop. Please, stop," he gasped out. It felt too real; he couldn't do it.

"It's me, Dickie-bird. I'm not dead, I promise. I said I wouldn't leave you, remember? I said I would come back. I wouldn't ever break that promise, Dickie."

Dick hesitantly uncurled himself before wrapping his arms around Wally's neck, the tears continuing to flow. "H-he said y-you were d-dead," he said between harsh sobs. He normally wouldn't cry; he was the Boy Wonder, after all. But he had been pushed to his limits, and probably a bit past that. Every tear was just a release of the pain, something he refused to let out through most of his ordeal. He had to let it out somehow, and this was the best way to do it. "They shot y-you. I s-saw it," he continued, ignoring the broken quality of his voice.

"Then they made it up, because I'm right here. I promise. I'm going to get you out of here, and you aren't ever going to come back," Wally assured, arms tightening around Dick.

Dick nodded, allowing himself to fully believe that this really was Wally. It felt real, and he couldn't deal with the pain much longer. Even if it just hurt him more afterwards, at least he would have this moment with his best friend if it turned out to be false. _It isn't, _Dick thought silently, _This is real. Wally isn't dead. He's right here._

Dick buried his face in Wally's shirt, allowing himself to receive comfort from his best friend's presence. "I thought you weren't going to come." _I was sure you were dead._

"Dickie-bird, I'll _always _come back for you. I'm your brother."

A small, hesitant voice interrupted their reunion. "Wally?" Hope spoke up, tugging on the ginger's shirt softly. "I'm really sorry, but we have to go now, so they won't catch us."

Dick visibly tensed at this thought, something the speedster didn't miss. Wally nodded, glancing back at the ebony still clinging to him, as if afraid to let go. "Dick, can you stand up?" he asked. He wasn't exactly sure of the extent of Dick's injuries; some of the things were obvious. Stitches were visible through the rips in the t-shirt, and a few bruises lined his arms, one darkening the skin underneath his right eye.

Dick nodded. "Can't run though," he admitted. "Not fast, anyway."

Wally scooped Dick up in his arms without any hesitation, and he looked back down at Hope. "Let's get out of here," he said, a grin forming on his face.

* * *

They were only three sublevels away from the surface when they were stopped. A few human guards stood among about a dozen genomorphs, blocking any further progress. Dr. Anthony Lawrence stepped forward, a smirk on his face. "Impressive; I didn't expect you to get this far."

An actual growl rose in Wally's throat, and his eyes narrowed as they glared dangerously at the scientist. "I want nothing more than to hurt you as much as you hurt Dick and Hope. So I suggest you move," he threatened.

Dr. Anthony Lawrence raised an eyebrow. "Hope? So you decided to name the failed experiment?" he asked, sounding amused.

Wally's anger skyrocketed, and if it weren't for the boy in his arms and the girl clinging to his leg, he would've lunged forward and attacked. Hope was the one who spoke up though. "I'm not just a failed experiment," she retorted, her brown eyes glaring into his. "And you're not going to get any of us again."

"On the contrary, I believe I will "get" all of you again. I haven't finished with Richard, and there are things we need to work on with Wallace. I still have to take care of you as well."

Wally seemed scarily close to developing heat vision at this point, his intense glare focused filled with a protective rage that would make most people reconsider the wisdom in fighting him. "You're not going to touch them ever again," he promised.

Dr. Anthony Lawrence chuckled. "We'll see about that." He gestured at those behind him, the genomorphs and guards stepping forward.

Hope suddenly let go of Wally's leg, glancing up at him with a small, sad smile. "Thank you, Dick. For rescuing me," she said, gaze flitting over to the acrobat before settling again on the speedster. "Bye, Wally. Thank you, too…for everything. You're still an awesome big brother."

Wally's eyes narrowed, this time in confusion. "Hope, what are you-"

"I'm going to help you get out," she said, voice firm despite the fear that edged her eyes.

Wally's eyes shot wide open in sudden realization. Hope was going to sacrifice herself. She was probably going to use her powers to hold them off for a while…her powers that she had no idea how to control. If she heated up to the point where she nearly burned Wally just because of a nightmare, what would happen if she actually tried to burst into flames?

Wally had the horrible feeling that he knew exactly what would happen; only two would be leaving Cadmus. "No," he said immediately, shaking his head. He wasn't about to lose his little sister just as he had found his little brother. Weren't heroes supposed to have happy endings?

"Sorry, Wally," Hope said, voice growing softer, sadder. "Try not to be too sad, okay? Dick still needs you."

Dick had been oddly silent this entire time. Honestly, the run up the stairs (he had made Wally put him down for a little while) had drained him of whatever energy he had left. That combined with the fact he was trying hard not to panic as Dr. Anthony Lawrence showed up meant he didn't really trust himself to talk. Besides, there wasn't much to say. Wally had been taking care of threats just fine. He jumped into the conversation now; he wasn't about to let a little girl die for him.

"Don't do this," he said, slipping out of Wally's arms and landing lightly on the ground, only a slight wince showing. "We'll figure something out; don't die because of me."

Hope's small smile returned. "You were ready to die for me," she explained. "I need to do this."

"No, you don't," Wally insisted, voice containing a pleading edge now.

"Love you, Wally," Hope said softly. With that, she closed her eyes, turning to face Dr. Anthony Lawrence again. Steam started to rise off of her body as her skin heated up to dangerous levels before she was finally engulfed in flames. She managed to direct the fire away from the two boys, though she couldn't do much more than that as she began to unravel, body turning to ash.

Heat scorched the air, and Wally felt tears sting his eyes. There wasn't anything he could do anymore. He grabbed Dick's hand, both of them running forward, away from the roaring flames.

Hope was dead.

* * *

**A/N **Anyone see what I did there, with the last line? Her name was chosen just so I could write that, actually.

Yeah. I killed off the adorable little girl...I did warn you it was depressing. Sorry if it's not as good as other chapters/a bit rushed...I was just trying to get it done, honestly. Hopefully it wasn't awful though. ;)

I do want to clarify and explain some things.

1) I didn't write Wally and Hope breaking in because I didn't feel like it would fit well into the way I wanted to write this chapter, and I wanted to get to some of the real action. Sorry to anyone who wanted to see that; I thought the escape would be more interesting.

2) Yes, Dick was able to identify the sound of rushing air from Wally running. Why? Well, just think about it; Dick has known Wally for years, and has worked alongside him as a hero plenty of times before. Sure, it could've been something else, but his mind was probably focused on Wally; he _did _watch him die recently, after all.

3) The lights turned back on because at that point, Wally was still at the computer. He could turn just that on (he's not completely stupid, after all) since it's a bit difficult to rescue people in the dark. ;)

...I think that covers the big things. If there's anything else, just let me know, and I'll be happy to explain. If it becomes too big of an issue, I'll either edit this chapter, or clarify it in the next.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Guest that reads: I think Hope sort of took care of the lava part. ;) Poor Hope... Thanks for the review!

Guest: I don't think there will be any direct Wally torture in the next chapter, but he'll feel incredibly guilty because of Hope's death...in that way, he'll be tortured, I guess. Sorry...

fanficfantasies: How close did I get to making you cry this chapter? ;) I think I'll go ahead and change it to angst now though. Thanks for the review!

please update g: I updated! :D

Don'tWalkUpStairsBackwards: I was wondering where you went, lol. Water torture kind of freaks me out too...which is why I wrote it. I figured I could write more fear about that. ;) And...I guess you know what happens to Hope. Sorry, no adoptions anymore. D: Thanks for the review!

Nightingale: I don't think I've killed off Dick yet...I don't think I really will, either. I don't know why...Thanks for the review!

Guest #2: Just torture him; they still want him alive, after all. ;)


	24. Tears

**A/N **Well, I failed at updating. Sorry about that guys; I had a really hard time with this chapter, and I've been crazy busy. Sadly, it looks like it will stay that way for a while. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update; please, bear with me. I'll be writing whenever I can.

**Disclaimer **I'm out of witty disclaimers...so...yeah. I don't own Young Justice.

~Aiva

* * *

They made it out of Cadmus no problem; Hope's sacrifice had done exactly what she intended it to. Wally blinked back tears at the thought. He had promised to protect her, to keep her safe; maybe if he had just been a little faster, she would still be alive. It was his fault. He wanted nothing more than to collapse, let his grief consume him, but he couldn't; Dick still needed him. Wally glanced over at his best friend, heart aching all the more at his appearance.

The Flash t-shirt Dick wore was darker in places from dried blood, and was ripped in places, showing the occasional glimpse of stitches on his chest and arms. His body was thinner than it had been previously, his ribs a bit more prominent. Blue eyes once so full of life were now dull, empty of anything but pain. He held onto Wally with a death grip, dried tear tracks staining his pale cheeks. "Wally," he finally panted," we have to stop." He had somehow managed to get this far, but pain and exhaustion were clearly taking their toll.

Wally wanted to keep going, almost as if he could run and escape the vivid memories that haunted him. He forced himself to slow down though, coming to a stop near a street corner. "Sorry," he mumbled. It didn't take a Bat to see how hard that had been on Dick; a grimace was clear on the acrobat's face and he winced at any sudden movement. Dick didn't respond, no words needing to be said. Wally's shoulders started to shake, tears finally spilling over onto his freckled cheeks. Dick was out of tears, so he simply wrapped his arms around the speedster, the action offering more comfort than any words could.

A few minutes passed, neither wanted to stop the moment. This was important to both of them, a necessary release of some of the pain that had been growing inside of them. It was Wally who finally moved, putting his own arms around Dick. He could at least live with the pain now, ignore it until he could actually deal with it.

"It's not your fault," Dick said quietly. His voice was hoarse, as if he was holding back tears of his own. His haunted blue eyes were dry though, only his face reflecting the sadness inside. Wally nodded, struggling to turn his attention back to his best friend. "Thanks, Dickie," he murmured, giving the boy a gentle squeeze before releasing him.

"Are…are you okay?" Wally asked after a brief pause. He scolded himself silently for asking such a stupid question. Of course he wasn't okay! It was obvious he had been through some serious torture, both mental and physical. Who would be okay after that?!

Dick shook his head mutely, which only caused Wally's concerns to grow. Dick didn't often admit to things being wrong, and was rarely this quiet. What did they do to him?

"Are you ready to talk about what happened in Cadmus?" Wally asked after another few seconds of silence. This question hung in the air for what felt like an eternity before Dick sighed.

"No…" Dick whispered. Tears finally welled up in his eyes, and he gritted as teeth as he struggled to blink them back. He was shaking again, body trembling lightly as he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Dick," Wally said softly.

Dick gave a short, bitter laugh. "Yeah, me too." With that, he fell back into silence, unwilling to open up. Living it once was painful enough; it would take time to recover from those scars.

Wally knew this; he was going to have to step up and be in charge for…until however long it took for them to get back home. Dick wasn't in the state to do anything, honestly; the kid had been through too much, and Wally wasn't sure how much he could take.

"We need to keep moving," Wally said finally. Running was something he could handle, and he wasn't going to risk Cadmus catching up with them. Then again…wouldn't Dr. Anthony Lawrence be dead? There was so much fire, it would have been nearly impossible to survive. Maybe they could finally go home.

Dick glanced up at him, questioning blue gaze seeming to voice Wally's thoughts. The speedster allowed himself a small grin that didn't fully reach his eyes; it was more for Dick's sake than anything, honestly. "Do you think…he's dead?" Wally asked.

Dick hesitated before shrugging. "People die all the time. Sometimes they don't stay dead," he pointed out. "But Wally?" he continued, looking back up at his friend, gaze almost pleading. "I want to go home."

"I know, Dickie," Wally said softly. "I do too." He wanted nothing more than to see Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris; how long had it been, exactly? Over a week, probably. It was difficult to judge time accurately when you're on the run, a fact made even more obvious by the fact that he was a speedster; time was always off with him. He wanted to run over there right now, but something held him back. A nagging feeling, barely there, but obvious enough to make him hesitate. He turned to his best friend. "But first, we need to get some sleep."

Wally himself actually wasn't tired; he hadn't been awake very long when breaking into Cadmus, after all. Dick, however, looked exhausted. Wally doubted he had slept at all during that time he was at Cadmus, and the physical and mental torture had only fatigued him further. He was going to collapse at this rate, and Wally wasn't about to let that happen on top of everything else. Dick didn't bother arguing, which was another worrying sign; the kid usually hated to sleep, staying up as late as he could most of the time. He was submissive now, willing to simply follow Wally's lead. Wally hated it.

Taking the acrobat's hand, Wally led him to the park that now seemed somewhat familiar; he tried not to think about how this was the park he had been at with Hope. He moved to a different bench, Dick sitting down beside him. He ended up with his head on Wally's lap, body curled into a tight ball. In an attempt to relax the boy somewhat, Wally rubbed soothing circles on his back. "Go to sleep, Dickie-bird," he prompted, voice soft and quiet. It didn't take long before he was out like a light, his breaths evening out. Even in sleep, though, he frowned from the pain.

It wasn't even that late in the day, but Wally's stomach roared with hunger. He ignored the rather loud sounds, unwilling to move and risk waking Dick up. Besides, he knew how freaked out Dick would be if he woke up and Wally was gone…the speedster wasn't about to do that to his best friend. So he stayed like that for a few hours, an impressive feat considering his attention span and the fact that his legs were falling asleep underneath Dick's weight.

That was when the nightmare came.

It wasn't unusual for Dick to have nightmares after traumatizing events; he still had nightmares about his parents, though they were mainly around the anniversary. Wally was a bit surprised he hadn't had any before now; after all, this whole escapade had been one horrible thing after another. It was bound to happen eventually. And considering all the things he had gone through while in Cadmus…

It wasn't the familiar screams that Wally heard though. Normally, Dick would cry out for his parents, and sometimes for Bruce and everyone else he loved not to fall too. That was what tormented his dreams most of the time; however, this time seemed to be different.

"No…" Dick mumbled, face screwing up in pain as he started thrashing around. "D-don't. Please…" He lapsed into Romani, his native language. Though Wally couldn't understand the words, it was clear that the acrobat was panicking; Wally was actually forced to hold Dick's arms down in order to stop him from hurting anyone. He slipped back into English, the panic growing on his face. "N-no. Wally d-didn't die, it wasn't t-true." Tears started streaming down his pale cheeks, and Dick started struggling even harder. "S-stop, please," he whimpered, before a loud scream ripped through the air. "Please," he repeated between sobs.

Wally felt his heart shatter; this was just as bad, if not worse, than his normal nightmares. He gathered up the small, shaking boy on his arms, hugging him tightly and murmuring words of comfort into his dark hair. "Shh, Dick, it's okay. Cadmus doesn't have you, and I'm right here," he promised, voice as soothing as possible. He rocked back and forth, hoping to lull Dick back into a peaceful sleep. No such luck.

Dick screamed again, his blue eyes shooting wide open. He glanced around wildly before clinging onto Wally, fresh tears streaming down his cheeks. Ragged sobs burst out of him, and he buried his face in his older brother's shirt, ignoring the stabs the sudden movements sent through him.

"I've got you, Dickie-bird," Wally assured, instinctively tightening his grip on the boy. "You're safe now, I promise."

"I-I thought-" Dick started, voice shaking almost as bad as his body. He paused for a moment before continuing. "I-I thought he g-got me b-back. That it w-was all a d-dream, and I-I was still t-trapped there. Y-you were still d-dead, and-"

"Shh, Dickie. I'm right here," Wally interrupted gently. "I promise it's not a dream, and I promise you're not in Cadmus anymore."

Dick merely clung to his best friend even tighter, terrified and traumatized by the specifics of his nightmare.

"…You wanna talk about it?" Wally asked after a moment, voice still soft and reassuring. Dick shook his head, not bothering to give a verbal response. The way his entire body had tensed up was answer enough, really.

Wally wasn't sure how long he stayed like that; hugging Dick and whispering words of comfort into his dark hair. Finally, Dick regained enough composure to pull away slightly, tears still clinging to his eyelashes. He wiped them away as he curled into another ball, wrapping his arms around his knees.

It was obvious he was still tired, the tear-tracks on his face only seeming to promote that. So Wally carefully placed an arm around Dick's shoulders, gently guiding his head back onto his lap. "Go back to sleep, Dick," he encouraged quietly.

Dick didn't pull away, but he shook his head. "I can't," he whispered. "The n-nightmares will c-come back."

Wally brushed some hair out of Dick's face, simply acting like an older brother. "I'll wake you up, Dickie-bird. No reason to be scared; I'm here for you," he reassured.

Dick shook his head again, refusing to go to sleep even though his tense muscles did relax fractionally. "Wally?" he spoke up after a few seconds of silence, voice a bit hoarse from crying.

"Yes, Dickie?"

"Y-you…you won't let him get me, right?"

Wally nodded. "I promise."

"…Thanks, Wally," Dick murmured, relaxing a little bit more.

"No problem, Dickie-bird," Wally answered with a small smile, ignoring the continued growling of his stomach. Food could wait; right now his little brother needed him.

* * *

**A/N **So we have Wally breaking down, and then Dick dealing with the mental trauma from what happened at Cadmus. In a weird way, the state that Dick's in is actually helping Wally; it's forcing Wally not to think about Hope for a while and at least somewhat positive, thus stopping him from sinking into grief and whatnot.

But both of them are still going to have some serious issues when all is said and done.

Okay, I have a few plot ideas of where I want this to go, but nothing is certain yet. If you guys want me to end it as quickly as possible, I can do that. If you want me to throw out a plot twist to keep the story going, I can try and do that too. So...what do you guys want me to do?

Also, one other thing; I would really appreciate it if no one would curse or use the Lord's name in vain in reviews. It hasn't been a big issue, but I'd prefer not to run into it at all, you know? ;) I'm not calling anyone out or anything; it's just me asking if you would go to the trouble of not saying any of that.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

please update g: Eep! -hides under bed- Not the best friend/world's best computer genuis! ;) As for the capture...I don't think I'll have Dick break completely. The nightmares and other trauma will be about as bad as it gets in terms of him being broken...which is still pretty bad, actually. Sorry! Thanks for the review though. ^^

Don'tWalkUpStairsBackwards: Wally won't completely "shut off"...he still has to take care of his little brother. ;) Yay, brotherly fluff! Anyway, thank you so much! It really makes me feel happy that I help to inspire you; it makes me feel like I'm actually accomplishing something with my writing, lol. Anyway, I won't be ending this story soon if people don't want me to...it depends on what they say.-shrugs- Thanks again for the review!

Guest: Yeah, he's going to be dealing with some depression; the only reason he's acting semi-cheerful right now is for Dick, you know? If it weren't for that, he'd be acting much more upset. Thanks for the review!

fanficfantasies: Honestly, I felt sadder writing that part too. And I can't say yet, sorry! All will be revealed though. ^^ Thanks for the review!

InvisibleNinja1234: Thanks!

Guest that reads: Yeah, Dick's going to need a lot more than therapy before he's back to his old self again. And I'll join you in chasing him down...you know, if he's alive. ;)


	25. Comfort

**A/N **This is the 25th chapter; I can't believe this has gotten as far as it has. And I've reached the 400 review mark; thank you everyone for helping me to get there! Maybe we can make it to 500 before the story ends? That would be amazing. ^^

Anyway, I'm not sure if I'll be able to update again anytime soon. I'm going to be even busier this next little while; I promise to write whenever I can though.

~Aiva

* * *

A week. It had been just over a _week _since his boy had been kidnapped. This was absolute torture for Barry; a _minute _was a long time for a speedster. To have Wally gone for this long, enduring who knows what…well, to say Barry was upset was an understatement. He was trying every day to hold onto that small spark of hope inside of him, but the possibility that he might never see his nephew again was growing larger and larger. This was his fault. Somehow, it was his fault; he should've stopped Wally from leaving alone. He should've gone with him, he should've done _something. _Common sense told him it wasn't really his fault, but his aching heart managed to convince him otherwise.

Others had noticed that something was wrong too. Even Trickster had asked if Flash was okay, and most of the Rogues had asked where "Baby Flash" was at least once or twice. The police had commented on it too, before Barry's clenched fists and gritted teeth warned them that it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.

Barry wasn't the only one being affected. Bruce rarely came out of the Batcave anymore, and when he did go on patrols, even the weakest of criminals were sent to prison in a body cast…when they were lucky. The press had started to ask about it as well, and many rumors were flitting around; they were dead, injured, sick, or had quit the hero business altogether. The Team was obviously affected by it as well; every mission they completed was done with a heavy heart.

Artemis snapped at almost everyone for even the smallest of things, hiding any of the fear she might have felt behind a wall of fierce anger. M'gann could still be caught crying when she was alone, and Conner had become protective of nearly everyone. He felt guilty, as revealed after a therapy session with Black Canary. Kaldur was still trying to be a strong leader, but it didn't take a detective to see the broken confidence underneath.

Even the League was suffering. Robin was loved by everyone from the moment he set foot in the Watchtower, just a small eight-year-old then. Everyone thought of Robin as at least their nephew, only supported by the fact that he would refer to them as "Uncle" or "Aunt" most of the time. Wally was the same way, though he had been older when he was introduced to the League. Even if he got into all sorts of trouble, his bright green eyes and infectious smile had softened the heroes' hearts, and they accepted him, just like they had Robin. After their capture, most of the League seemed quieter, somehow. The conversations in the halls were no longer quiet as loud, and laughter wasn't heard as often as it used to be.

It was surprising to see how much two boys affected so many people. Then again, thinking of who the boys were, maybe it wasn't that surprising after all.

Barry was tugged out of his thoughts as Iris placed a slender hand on his. "Barry, you need to eat something," she reminded, glancing down at his plate pointedly. The speedster's tired blue eyes met her's, and Iris was once again taken aback by how _empty _they seemed. She was just as worried about Wally, of course, but she tried to stay strong. Barry would find him, and Bruce would find Dick. The boys would be fine, she just _knew _it. Any worry she had she struggled to ignore whenever she could, though it wasn't easy. Some days, she just wanted to let it consume her.

Barry sighed, prodding the meatloaf half-heartedly with his fork. For probably the first time since gaining his super speed, he wasn't hungry. At first, he needed even more food than usual, considering how often he ran around the world, not giving up on the hope that he would somehow find him. Days passed though, and that sick feeling of dread grew inside of him, filling up any place that might have been empty before. He knew he still needed the calories, and forced himself to swallow a few bites. The normally delicious meal stuck in his throat, and he put his fork back down, not at all hungry.

Iris pursed her lips, turning back to her plate. She hadn't eaten much either. Admitting defeat, she gathered up the dishes, saving the leftovers before putting the plates and forks in the sink. She turned back to Barry, sudden tears welling up in her eyes. She felt fragile, like one gust of wind could blow her over and expose the emotions within. She blinked them back, trying to be strong, for her boys. Barry needed her to be strong, and Wally would want her to be too. So she gently took Barry's hand, tugging him up out of his seat.

Iris then wrapped slender arms around him, sinking into his warm embrace. Barry instinctively hugged her, his grip strong yet gentle, all at the same time. "Barry," she sighed. "He's going to come home. Both of them are. Since when has Wally let something keep him down?" she asked.

Barry chuckled, though the sound wasn't nearly as humorous or cheerful as it should've been. "He's definitely stubborn enough to make it back," he agreed.

Iris, relieved that she could at least give him some modicum of comfort, continued. "If he can blow himself up and be running around the world the next day, I'm sure he'll be fine," she added, feeling a small smile form on her face at that particular memory. After learning he had super speed, he didn't even care that he was in a hospital. He had started begging to be Flash's sidekick immediately. "And remember when he was kidnapped by the Rogues?"

Barry chuckled again, this time the sound a bit more light-hearted. "I found him playing darts with Trickster," he said, joining the conversation. "Or remember the time he melted through the dining room table playing with his chemistry set?" Barry asked.

Iris frowned, though amusement remained clear in her eyes. "That wasn't funny, Barry Allen," she scolded lightly. Of course, both were laughing softly a few seconds later as the continued sharing memories and stories. The memories were bitter sweet, but they could focus on the sweet part for now. Because they wouldn't give up hope that Wally was okay. Their boy would come back, because he wasn't the type to let people down. Even if waiting was painful, it was just a matter of time.

All Iris and Barry had to do was hold on until then.

* * *

Luckily, Dick didn't have another nightmare, though he only slept for twenty minutes. He probably would've slept for longer, but a loud growl of Wally's stomach had woken him up. Dick had actually jerked away in surprise, tumbling off the bench and onto the grass. Despite himself, Wally couldn't help but laugh a little, the sound short and quiet, but welcome nonetheless. Dick glared at him, hand flitting up to his chest before dropping back down, choosing to ignore the twinge of pain the impact had sent through him. Wally, stifling his chuckles, reached out a hand to help the smaller boy up.

Dick flinched away instinctively, mind going back to Cadmus before remembering that it was just Wally. He grabbed it, pulling himself back up as Wally continued to laugh. His glare softened, which was as close to laughing – or even smiling – that he could get. "Not funny," he grumbled, ignoring how hoarse his voice was.

"Yes it was!" Wally insisted, a grin still tugging at the corner of his mouth. Another liquid rumble emanated from the speedster's empty stomach, and a small smile even formed on Dick's face for a brief second. It was gone almost as soon as it came, and barely there to begin with. But it was enough to give Wally the hope that maybe his best friend would be okay again, if he was given time to recover. "So, food?" Wally checked. Not waiting for a response, he continued. "Any place you want to eat it?"

Dick shrugged, returning to his quiet state again. That brief moment where he had been – well, maybe not normal, but as close to normal as was possible – was gone. Wally ignored the disappointment this sent through him, trying to lighten the mood. "Taco Bell?" he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows for emphasis. Dick gave him a look, and Wally grinned. "Joking," he assured. He brightened at a sudden thought. "You never paid for IHOP!" he realized. "That's it, we're eating there," he decided quickly. The thought of pancakes was amazing right now, Dick even looking hungry at the thought.

"Let's go!" Wally said, grabbing Dick's hand and dragging him forward, searching for an International House of Pancakes.

* * *

"Master Bruce," Alfred spoke up.

Bruce didn't respond. He was in his Batman uniform, but his cowl was pulled down, revealing his haggard appearance. His eyes were dull, dark shadows underneath them, and he seemed thinner than normal. He seemed ready to lash out at anyone at a moment's notice, rage and frustration clear in every tense movement.

"Master Bruce," Alfred repeated. "I was not kidding when I threatened to call Master Clark a few days ago."

It was then Bruce spoke up, though he didn't meet the butler's eyes. "I can't find him, Alfred," he admitted, sounding defeated…and, well, _broken. _Alfred frowned upon hearing his charge; there had been few times where Bruce had sounded like this, and none of them were times Alfred enjoyed remembering. "Sitting in front of this computer will not help Master Dick any," he reminded. "When he comes home, do you want him to see you in such a state? No you do not," Alfred finished, giving the man a look that clearly said _"don't you dare try to disagree"._

"Who says he's coming home?!" Bruce exploded. He sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions within him. "It's been over and week, and there are no leads, no _anything." _By this point, he was actually shaking, though he tried to hide it. "…I can't lose him, Alfred."

Alfred's eyes gained a steely look of determination, and he stepped in front of Bruce, blocking his view of the Batcomputer. "Master Dick _will _be coming home," he responded, stating it as a fact rather than a hope. "Which means there is no reason to sit here and feel sorry for yourself. You've done everything you can, Master Bruce, and that will have to be good enough. I refuse to allow you to continue on like this; you need a shower and a decent meal at the very least. Now get up and do something productive, instead of sitting here and doing nothing that will help Master Dick in the least."

Bruce's eyes widened slightly during the butler's speech. He stared at Alfred for a moment before shaking his head. "You're wrong, Alfred," he said. "Doing "something productive" else isn't going to help Dick. Besides, I'm not hungry."

Alfred stepped aside, gaze hardening. "Then you leave me no choice, Master Bruce," he said evenly.

Bruce's eyes narrowed. "Alfred, what are-"

That was when Clark stepped in. Bruce's eyes narrowed further, turning into a full out DaddyBats glare. "Don't even start, Kent," he growled.

Clark resisted the urge to roll his eyes, basically pulling the billionaire to his feet. "Come on, Bruce. You need to eat something, at least."

"I don't need to eat," Bruce replied, voice taking on an even more dangerous note. He didn't care if he sounded like a stubborn five year old or not; he refused to give in. "And if you don't let go, I swear I will personally shove kryptonite down your throat."

"No, you will not," Alfred countered.

Bruce growled again. Didn't these people realize he couldn't just relax and eat food?! Dick was out there somewhere, quite possibly injured in some way or another. By leaving, Bruce would be admitting defeat. It was the same reason that Barry wouldn't stop running that one time; he would feel like he was giving up on his son.

And he absolutely refused to do that.

"I'm not giving up on Dick!" he shouted, fists clenching at his sides. He was ready to punch Clark in the face, even if it would end up hurting his hand more than it hurt the Kryptonian.

"You're not helping him by cutting yourself off from everyone and everything," Clark argued. His expression softened. "Everyone is hurting because of this, Bruce. We all miss him."

Bruce's eyes were empty again, though anger was still clear in his tense body language. Clark persisted, placing a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder. "You're just going to hurt him more by doing this. You won't be giving up by taking a break, Bruce, I promise," he said.

Bruce sighed, a heavy sigh that sounded like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He really didn't want to have to argue with him _and_ Alfred; mentally apologizing to Dick, he gave in. "Fine," he grumbled reluctantly.

A spark of relief entered Alfred's eyes. "Dinner will be ready in a few moments," he announced, leaving the gloom of the Batcave.

Clark offered the billionaire a small smile. "Dick will understand," he said.

Bruce rolled his eyes. "Get out of my house, Kent."

Clark chuckled. "Sure thing, Bruce."

* * *

**A/N **More people did vote for me to add a plot twist, but I'm still not sure about what I'm going to do. I'll let you know in the next chapter though, I promise. Until then, feel free to continue telling me what you want me to do; explaining your reasoning is really helpful too. ^^

So, a few people asked me a while ago about putting in more DaddyBats and DaddyFlash. I added a whole little section for each of them in here; I hope you guys enjoyed it! Pretty much everyone is trying to pull themselves out of that pit of worry/depression right now...but they're slowly getting there. Oh, and let me know if anyone wasn't quite in character; I was a bit uncertain about some parts, but not sure how I would change it either.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

fanficfantasies: Is there something wrong with Dr. Anthony Lawrence, or is it just a "oh, he tortured the characters a lot, so I really hope he stays dead" kind of thing? I'm just curious. ^^ Hmm, not sure about them talking to the JL or YJ yet; it will happen, but I'm not sure it will happen right now, you know? Ayway, thanks for the review!

Guest that reads: Yeah, everyone seems to be having a lot of issues lately. Wow...ALL of the torture comments? That's...a lot of torture. If Dr. Anthony Lawrence isn't dead, he's going to wish he was, apparently. ;) Thanks for the review!

Guest: If I do end it soon, I'll probably make a sequel. Or I may keep this one going, I'm not sure. But it shouldn't be ending too soon either way.

please update g: No, don't die! Even if I do end it, it still won't happen for a little while. And I may make a sequel if I do...so, yeah. I'll update as soon as I can!

Fiji-Fruit9000: Thanks!

Bobby Corwen: ...I think you just made my entire week with that. Seriously, thank you so much! I'm your favorite author, and I write Rob and Wally even better than YJ? Yeah, I'm grinning so wide my face actually hurts now. Thank you again; your review was so sweet and kind!


	26. Memories

**A/N **Honestly, this is just a filler chapter. Sorry about that guys...I've had a lot of trouble writing this, for some reason. It doesn't help that I'm going to be really busy for a while. We do have some brotherly fluff going on though. ^^

**Disclaimer **I still don't own. D:

~Aiva

* * *

Unfamiliar with Tallahassee (he hadn't exactly visited often before the whole Cadmus thing) and unable to use his speed for the time being, Wally was forced to look for IHOP like a normal person. That meant he wandered around town, hopelessly lost, for fifteen minutes until asking for directions. By that point, Wally barely had the strength to stay standing up, he was so hungry. _Stupid metabolism, _he grumbled mentally as his stomach let out another loud roar. "Shush," he scolded out loud, glancing down at the talkative belly. "We're almost there."

Dick raised an eyebrow, but he chose not to comment on the fact that his best friend was talking to his stomach. Wally, noticing the look, grinned sheepishly. The awkward look turned into one of excited relief whenever he saw the familiar sign. "IHOP!" he announced cheerfully, obviously pleased. "I told you we would find it!"

_After you had to ask two different people, _Dick added silently. Still not quite in the mood to talk – he doubted he would be any time soon – he merely shook his head slowly at the speedster's antics. Wally led the way inside, walking up to the man at the desk. Luckily, there didn't seem to be too many people; a mere handful were scattered throughout the restaurant. "How many in your party?" the employee asked, raising an eyebrow at the two boys. It looked like both had been dragged by horses or something; the smaller one was wearing a ripped Flash t-shirt, and his eyes were distant and wary. The redhead had a few blades of grass stuck in his fiery hair, and smudges of dirt hid some of his orange freckles.

"Two," Wally responded, hands moving unconsciously towards his stomach as it growled again.

"Follow me," the man nodded, leading them over to a table near the window. He gestured towards the open seats, producing menus and handing them to the teenagers. "Someone will be here to take your orders in just a moment." With that, he walked off.

Wally stared at the menu, green eyes studying it with interest as he bit his lip, struggling to make up his mind. "How much money do we have?" he asked finally.

Dick shrugged, pulling out a wad of money that he had managed to keep. For some reason, Dr. Anthony Lawrence hadn't bothered to take that up. _Probably too busy torturing me, _Dick thought, a bitter edge to the mental words. Wally's freckled face brightened upon seeing the cash, and he rifled through the green paper. There was around two hundred dollars in there, meaning he could order plenty.

A waiter stepped up then. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, his brown hair combed back carefully. His green eyes stared at them expectantly as he held a pad of paper in one hand and a pencil in the other. "May I take your order?" he asked.

Wally nodded. "Yeah, I'll have six glasses of water, two glasses of hot chocolate, Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes, New York Cheesecake Pancakes, a Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity, a Bacon Temptation Omelet, and the Country Sausage Potatoes," he said, grinning at the waiter's expression.

The waiter swallowed nervously, eyes comically wide. "A-anything else?" he stammered.

Wally glanced at the younger teen. "What do you want?" he asked. Dick shrugged, blue eyes focused firmly on the table. Wally sighed and glanced back up at the waiter. "Right. He'll have the Double Blueberry Pancakes and some orange juice."

"I'll bring that right over," the waiter said, walking away hurriedly after taking up their menus.

Wally's grin widened. "I love this place," he commented.

Dick snorted, finally meeting his best friend's gaze. "You're going to spend all of our money at this rate," he informed, speaking up for the first time since those two words after waking up.

Wally shrugged the statement off; he couldn't help his metabolism. He needed to eat a lot, something that was supported by the fact that he was a growing teenager. It was either this or starve, and Wally preferred the first option a whole lot more.

A few minutes passed, and Wally spoke up again. "So…when do you think the food will come?" he asked.

Dick shrugged, apparently returning to his mute state again. Wally let out a small huff of frustration; time was going to pass much, much more slowly if the acrobat was going to remain silent. "C'mon, Dickie," Wally cajoled. "Say something."

Dick gave the speedster a mild glare, which was response enough. Wally persisted, refusing to give up so easily. He sidled up closer to his friend. "You know you want too," he continued in a sing-song voice. Dick remained silent.

"Don't make me start singing," Wally threatened. Dick glared at the redhead again, but still didn't speak. "Well, I warned you," Wally shrugged, taking a deep breath before starting to hum. Dick's glare hardened, and he rolled his eyes as his friend started to actually sing '99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall' – or, in this case '99 Cartons of Milk'.

Dick's expression grew more and more irritated, but he refused to give in. By the time Wally reached fifty four though, he was ready to snap.

"Wallace Rudolph West, I swear I will throw you into a pit filled with angry crocodiles if you don't stop singing!" Dick blurted out, a fork gripped tightly in his hand.

Wally stopped singing immediately, a wide grin forming on his face instead. "I knew I could get you to talk!" he said cheerfully.

Dick let out a heavy sigh; that didn't stop a small smile from tugging at his lips though, and Wally's grin widened when he noticed this. "Yes!" he cheered, punching a fist into the air. "I got you to smile too!"

Dick rolled his eyes, the gesture much more good-natured now than it had been before. The waiter arrived at that moment, arms laden with the silver trays carrying their food. He set them down carefully, looking a bit relieved that the heavy weight had been removed. Wally grinned, digging in immediately. "'Ank 'oo," he managed to get out between hurried bites.

Noticing the confused look on the waiter's face, Dick decided to clarify. "Thank you," he translated as he picked up his own fork. With a careful nod, the waiter left, still looking a bit confused and shooting them the occasional weird glance before disappearing completely into the kitchen.

Dick ate a few bites before the sweet taste overwhelmed him. It was good, sure, but he just didn't feel like eating right now. Picking up the large glass of orange juice instead, he glanced at Wally in sick fascination. Honestly, Dick was surprised the speedster had even remembered to use silverware. Wally was shoveling food into his mouth like there was no tomorrow, resulting in an interesting mixture of whipped cream, syrup, and crumbs smeared across his face. He had already managed to eat half of the omelet, and was starting on the pancakes, letting out incoherent mumbles of pleasure every now and then.

His appetite officially ruined, Dick set down the orange juice as well. He knew he probably needed to eat, but just couldn't bring himself to right then. The…_interesting _sight of Wally eating didn't help any.

The meal passed in silence (apart from the rather loud sounds of Wally) for a while, until a random lady walked up. By that point, Wally had finished up everything except about half of his cheesecake pancakes, though that was quickly disappearing as well. Dick tensed as the lady glanced at him curiously, and nearly jumped out of his chair when she let out a tiny, surprised gasp. "You're Richard Grayson, aren't you?" she asked, a bit excited.

Brief panic flashed through Dick's blue eyes before he regained his composure, shaking his head almost immediately. "You must be confusing me with someone else," he responded, voice quiet. "I'm Chris Harris."

The lady shook her head, expensive diamond earrings jingling as she did so. "Are you sure? You look just like Richard! You know, my sister went on a date with Bruce once. He never called her again, of course, but what else can you expect? I warned you, you know."

Dick was ready to leap out of his chair by this point, his fingernails digging into his palm as his hands clenched into tight fists. Wally, sensing the approaching danger, wiped off his mouth hastily and tossed some money onto the table, slipping the rest into his pocket. The lady, not noticing the tension growing in the air, continued. "Richard seems like such a nice young man, even if he was born in a circus." She shivered at that comment, but quickly launched back into the one-sided conversation. "You do look a lot like him…Chris, was it?"

It was obvious the lady wasn't trying to do any harm, and it was highly unlikely she worked with Cadmus. It wasn't like she could hide many weapons in that dress either. She simply liked to talk, and was genuinely curious. Dick, despite knowing this, wasn't able to stop the panic rising within him. His nerves still frayed (torture tended to do that to a person), Dick found himself practically leaping out of his chair, breaths already coming faster.

Wally stood immediately, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Dude, calm down," he said, voice low and careful, like he was speaking to a startled animal. "Everything's fine, I promise."

Dick flinched away harshly at the gentle contact, heart pounding loudly in his ears. The sudden urge to escape, to get away, crashed over him. Wally, sensing this, carefully led Dick towards the door, turning his head to talk to the lady over his shoulder. "Sorry, we gotta go," he offered as an explanation. Silently saying goodbye to the remains of his pancakes, Wally walked out quickly, the bell dinging behind him.

Once they were a safe distance away, Wally stopped, making Dick turn and face him. "You okay?" he asked after a brief hesitation.

Dick took in a deep, shuddering breath, obviously trying to calm himself. "I'm fine," he mumbled.

Wally's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "I think we both know that's not true, Dick."

Dick pulled away, face hardening. "Just leave me alone! It's no big deal, okay?! It's over now anyway."

"Dick, of course it's a big deal! You went through who knows what at Cadmus, and are so paranoid you nearly raced out of IHOP because of some lady wearing fancy jewelry!"

Wally was suddenly aware that his best friend was shaking, light tremors coursing through his body. The speedster wasted no time in wrapping comforting arms around him. "Sorry," Dick muttered, voice muffled slightly by Wally's shoulder. "I didn't mean to="

"Shh, Dickie. It's fine," Wally interrupted, rubbing comforting circles on the boy's back. Dick didn't respond, so Wally continued after a few long seconds of silence. "Dick…can you talk about what happened in Cadmus now?" he asked, voice hesitant. "I mean, you have to get it out eventually, and after you freaked out like that…"

Dick stiffened immediately, muscles tensing as if preparing to run. "You don't have to if you're not ready," Wally added hastily, feeling a bit guilty for even asking.

Dick shook his head, pulling away again. "No…you're right," he said, voice quiet and haunted. "I have to get it out eventually. Might as well do it now. I just…don't want to have to relive it."

"I'm right here for you, bro," Wally assured, offering a small attempt at a smile that faded quickly.

Dick was silent for a moment before mustering the courage to speak. "You already know parts of it. You know…that he…that he convinced me you were dead. H-he showed a video of you getting shot before y-you could escape," he began. Already, tears were starting to form, though he blinked them back stubbornly. "I was ready to g-give up then. I just c-couldn't handle the idea that I had l-lost someone else. The only thing that kept me going was that I knew you wouldn't want me to g-give up. You'd want me to keep fighting. I-I was left alone for a while after th-that. When he finally came back, he s-started to torture me with knives. I was ready to beat the crap out of h-him and get out, but he said he'd kill Bruce if I tried anything." Dick's fingers trailed absently along the thick black stitches running down his right arm.

"Next was the water torture. A genomorph nearly d-drowned me about five times. I-I was sure I was going to die down there…I a-accepted the fact that I probably wouldn't ever set foot above Cadmus again. I was g-going to die down there, and nobody would know. That's when they s-stopped. The water had been c-cold to begin with, but then they stuck me in a freezer. They left me in there for what felt like hours…I was considering whether I should just give into hypothermia. It's not like I had much left to live for at that point anyway. They took me out before I could. That was only the physical torture. Whenever it wasn't that, they showed…recordings. Of the Flying Graysons. And you. I had to watch that, over and over again…"

His voice trailed off, and Dick swallowed hard. His face was paler than normal, and fresh tears had left tracks on his face. Wally stared at him for a moment, heart aching; the raw pain in Dick's blue eyes was horrible to see. It was easy to forget that he was only thirteen; he was way too young to be having to go through any of this. Wally pulled his best friend back into a hug, ignoring the fact that he was shaking again.

"It's over now, I promise," Wally whispered. "I won't ever let Cadmus hurt you again."

Dick buried his tear-streaked face into Wally's light green shirt, managing to gain at least a little comfort from his presence. "Thanks, Wally," he whispered, voice hoarse and shaky.

Wally didn't give a response; no words needed to be said. Instead, his arms tightened instinctively around Dick's thin frame. _I promise, _he repeated silently.

* * *

**A/N **Well, I promised to tell you guys my decision. I think I'm going to go ahead and end it. It won't be immediately, but there aren't that many chapters left either. I'm sorry if I'm disappointing anyone; I just think it would be better if I did. This means that I can make a sequel though; that's probably what I'll end up doing, actually. I don't know how soon it will be up or the specifics of a plot, but I'll let you guys know, I promise. ^^

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Don'tWalkUpStairsBackwards: You know, I think you're right; the producers should definitely hire me. ^^ That would be awesome, lol. Anyway, I have to say, I love that idea. I can totally see Wally getting mad about IHOP, and then all of the angsty emotions would be spectacular, considering all the trauma Dick still has. ...Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be able to fit it in. D: I may end up doing something similar in the sequel though; you never know. ;) Thanks for the review!

Bobby Corwen: I think that might be one of the longest reviews I've ever gotten, lol. ^^ I'm so glad you thought they were in character; I was a bit worried about that, honestly. And I don't think the suggestions sucked at all! In fact, they helped me to write this chapter. I still can't believe you think I write the characters better than Young Justice does; that makes me smile each time I see it. :D Thank you so much for the kind words! They really do mean a lot. ^^

Fiji-Fruit9000: I hope I didn't disappoint with the IHOP scene. ;) And the reunion should be coming up soon, I promise. I'm really looking forward to writing that. ^^ Thanks for the review!

fanficfantasies: Oh, good. ^^ I was worried for a second, lol. Thanks for the review!

Guest that reads: So...I'm sensing some pent-up frustration here? ;) Lol, I don't blame you. I think a lot of people want to take a whack at Dr. Anthony Lawrence right now. Thanks for the review!

please update g: Is this soon enough? ;)


	27. Discovery

**A/N **I am so, so sorry, guys. I didn't mean to leave you waiting that long; I've been insanely busy lately, and I had a lot of difficulty writing this chapter. ...I also have to apologize for the chapter length; it's about five hundred words shorter than I normally try to make them. I did explain a lot of things, like exactly what Cadmus did to them.

And special thanks to Moki Hunter, who read over this chapter for me. It really helped me out. ;)

**Disclaimer **I still don't own Young Justice...

~Aiva

* * *

"Thanks, Wally," Dick repeated, voice still shaking. He pulled away, looking up at the speedster hopefully. "Can we go home now?" Normally, he would hate how absolutely _weak _he sounded then. He was practically pleading, sounding similar to a tired toddler, though without as much whining. But honestly, Dick couldn't bring himself to care anymore. He _needed _to be home. He needed to see Alfred and Bruce, to know that finally, he could get a break from all of this madness.

Wally offered the broken boy a small smile. "Dick, I will run us there right now if you want to," he answered. Dick's blue eyes lit up, something that happened in a while. "There is something we should do first, though…" Wally continued reluctantly, guilt sweeping through him as Dick's face fell, returning to that sadly familiar look of haunted emptiness.

"Of course," Dick muttered. "Nothing can ever be easy, can it?"

"We don't have to!" Wally interjected hastily, heart aching with his best friend's pain. He honestly wished he could just take it all away…unfortunately, reality reminded him harshly that he was unable to do so. "We just…probably should," he added, a bit awkwardly.

Dick's shoulders slumped forward slightly. "What is it?" he asked wearily. Right then, he felt way older than he should have, jaded exhaustion sweeping through him.

"Well, we never really figured out how Dr. Lawrence-"

Dick tensed just at the name, but Wally continued.

"-planned to…kill everyone. And we never really saw his body either…what if-"

"_He's dead!"_ Dick interrupted, voice cracking as he shouted. The words were laced with desperation, his whole body becoming as taut and tense as a drawn bowstring just at the though. He refused to believe that there was even a small possibility the evil scientist was alive. There was no way he could be; Hope hadn't died for nothing. He had burned to a crisp. End of story.

Wally back-tracked hurriedly. "I know he is, Dick," he assured quickly. "But we should still take care of this."

For a moment, Dick wanted to argue. He knew if he pressed the matter, he could be home in less than thirty minutes. That thought was so tempting it was almost a physical ache deep inside his chest, persistently reminding him of every cut, every bruise, all of the nightmares he had to endure. For a moment, he wanted nothing more than to give in. But at the same time, he knew he shouldn't; finding this out was a priority from the start, and it really did need to be taken care of. The weight on his shoulders seemed to become much heavier as he reluctantly nodded, dragging him deeper into that black pit that seemed to be his life right now.

Wally hugged him again, though the reassuring action lasted mere seconds this time. "I promise we're going home soon," he said softly. Dick nodded again, and Wally offered him a small grin. "Now, what do you say we go take a look at that flash drive?" he suggested.

"Wait…Wally? Why didn't you look at it before?"

Wally froze. "I, uh, started to read it," he explained. "But I got to…certain parts, and had to stop." He didn't want to mention that it had been more plans of what Cadmus had been about to do to his best friend. Dick seemed to understand, and didn't press the matter further. "Let's go, then," he said instead.

Wally led the way. "There's this little café with Wi-Fi; they let you use their computers and everything. It's where I looked at it first, with…" he trailed off suddenly, a large lump forming in his throat. It hurt too much to say Hope's name.

Dick nudged him gently with his elbow, successfully pulling the speedster out of the depressing memories, at least for a few seconds. "Let's go," he reminded, voice quiet.

Wally accepted the distraction, leading the way through the streets. His green eyes scanned the buildings with interest, picking out details and landmarks that hopefully would guide him to their destination. They got there with little difficulty; Wally could get lost easily in a city he had never been in before. But after one visit, he could actually navigate his way around that area with surprising ease; it had to do with being a speedster. Running around the world multiple times really taught you the importance of paying attention to your surroundings.

Wally stepped in first, leading the way over to a table near the back of the small store, set near the computers. Though the rich, mouth-watering smell of chocolate and pastries filled the air, he ignored the sudden rumbling in his stomach; he could deal with it for now. They had more important matters to attend to. A sudden though struck him; they could actually be going home today. Depending on what they saw on the flash drive…maybe he could be eating dinner with Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris tonight. Feeling a sudden surge of giddy excitement and relief, the speedster sat down, inserting the flash drive into the computer.

Dick sat next to him, blue eyes focused intently on the words scrolling down the screen. He read quickly, basically skimming through the information, some of which he had managed to read already, before Wally had come back with Hope.

Wally, however, had stopped with the details of torture and experiments. His green eyes widened as his brain absorbed the information, and he sucked in a sharp breath. "This is what they were doing to us?" he asked, voice quiet.

Dick nodded, offering him a weak imitation of a smile. "At least you didn't have to deal with the 'mental conditioning' too," he responded, voice even quieter than the speedsters, containing a haunted edge that sent shivers down Wally's spine.

Wally swallowed, green eyes flitting back to the screen. Simply put, Cadmus had wanted to turn them into their own soldiers; after all, what better way to fight the Justice League than with their own protégés? The process had been started with one of the first experiments Cadmus had run; the "shocky-needle-things", as Wally had dubbed them.

The purpose of that was to enhance muscle strength; the needle part injected certain chemicals into their bodies while simultaneously using electricity to stimulate their muscles, amplifying the effects.

Other experiments were used for mental conditioning, as Dick put it, or to study their abilities (like that treadmill-thing Wally had been put on). Basically, it was an efficient way to turn the two boys into well-developed weapons.

Dick's face had grown steadily paler as he read; honestly, knowing the reasons behind the experiments only made the memories of them worse. He was tempted to reach over and turn the computer off right then, but sucked in a deep breath; he could handle this. Wally glanced over at his best friend, a look of concern forming on his face immediately at Dick's appearance.

"You don't have to keep reading," he reminded gently. "I can read the rest."

Dick shook his head. "I'll manage," he said, tone somehow leaving no room for argument. Despite that, Wally was tempted to argue. He resisted the urge though, turning back to the computer; no sense in wasting any more time. His green eyes skimmed through the rest of the information, seeking out the one piece that they needed. He finally found it, and started reading with interest. Dr. Anthony Lawrence, apparently, had found a way to inject nano-bots into the League and Team's bloodstreams. The nano-bots would target the nervous system when activated, effectively killing their host. Wally let out a low whistle. "Guess he really wasn't lying after all," he murmured. "Good call, Dick." A frown formed on his face as he continued to think. "Wait, how did he get the nano-bots in them?"

Dick shrugged. "It wouldn't really be that hard; he could put them in the water-supply, for example. And he probably knew their identities as well. It should've been relatively easy; making the nano-bots was the hard part."

Wally nodded thoughtfully. "How do we get rid of them?" he asked.

Dick, surprisingly, grinned. "That's easy. I can send a frequency through the Watchtower satellite that will fry the nano-bots' circuits, preventing them from ever activating. This should work for now; we can worry about getting rid of them later," he explained quickly.

Wally's expression mirrored Dick's, a wide grin splitting his face. "You're a _genius!" _he exclaimed, slapping his best friend a high-five. "How long should it take you to do it?"

Dick's brow creased in thought. "Maybe an hour tops," he said after a moment. "I'm going to need this computer though."

Wally scooted over immediately, and Dick took his spot in front of the screen. He glanced at the information one more time before nodding to himself, minimizing the window with an easy click of the mouse. His eyes narrowed in concentration, and a string of computer code started scrolling across the top of the screen as his fingers flew over the keyboard.

Wally stared at it, impressed; the computer's functions extended to using the internet. That was about it. Yet somehow, Dick was still able to use the machine to hack into the security system of the Watchtower, _and _send a very specific frequency through the satellite. It was incredible, simply put.

He tore his gaze away from the screen to glance up at the clock hanging on the wall, mentally starting the countdown.

Just an hour left until they could go home.

* * *

**A/N **So you can probably tell there isn't too many chapters left. I'm going to have them meet Bruce, then Barry, and then the Team, if you guys want to see them.

Anyway, if any thing needs to be explained in further detail, just let me know. I'll either try and put in the next chapter directly, edit this one, or put it in the next author's note.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Don'tWalkUpStairsBackwards: Wally is so gonna give him a piece of his mind... and his fist. That was made of win, right there. ^^ And I'm really looking forward to writing the reunion scene; it shouldn't be too much longer! Anyway, I'm glad you felt safe reading this; I don't ever curse, so you can always read my writing without being afraid of that. ;) Thank you so much for the kind words!

AbbieAsSue.29: I wouldn't do that to you guys, don't worry. ^^ I'm not _that _mean, lol. They're going home soon, I promise.

Bobby Corwen: I'm so glad you liked it! :D I love writing moments between those two, lol. And I'm most likely going to write a sequel; I love doing this story too much not to. And I have to say, I love your magical waves of words. ^^ They're always so kind, and never fail to make me smile. Thank you so much!

tsuki-lulu: ...I'm afraid I don't speak Spanish, sorry.

Guest: Thank you so much!

Guest that reads: Unfortunately, Batman has a no-kill rule. I agree that he will most likely break every bone in his body though. ^^ Thanks for the review!

fanficfantasies: Now I'm curious about what you were going to say. ;) Thanks for the review!

Guest 2: Yeah, he has, lol. He needed some pancakes. ;) Thanks for the review!

please update g: *washes blood off hands* Sorry for taking so long! Hopefully, you won't have to wait as long for the next update.


	28. Home

**A/N **And here's what you've all been looking forward to; the big reunion scene. :D Enjoy!

**Disclaimer **We're getting really close to the new episode! ...Unfortunately, I still don't own it.

~Aiva

* * *

Wally frowned, tongue poking out from in between his lips as he thought. The cashier stared at him in disbelief. "Kid, how many donuts can you eat?" he asked after a moment, eyes wide. The redhead had been up here at least five different times, each time ordering a considerable amount of hot chocolate and donuts. There had been the occasional chocolate chip cookie too. Taking the question seriously, Wally's frown deepened. "I…don't know," he answered honestly. "A lot?"

The cashier shook his head. "As long as you have the cash…" he muttered, accepting the money and shoving it into the cash register.

Wally beamed as he gathered up the two cups of hot chocolate and five donuts. "Thanks!" he said before making his way quickly over to the smaller, dark-haired boy.

He sat down near Dick, half of the donut already shoved into his mouth. "Hnnh i' oongh?" he asked, accidentally spraying his best friend in crumbs.

Dick wiped them off easily, not even bothering to glance away from the computer screen. "Swallow first," he reminded.

Wally complied, and immediately started choking. After a few seconds of this, Dick finally glanced up, noting the speedster's red face and panicked green eyes. He let out a small sigh, and turned Wally around, whacking him on the back quickly. Wally coughed as the donut left his airways, taking in deep, gasping breaths. "Better?" Dick asked, raising an eyebrow, hands moving back to the computer.

Wally nodded. "Yeah, thanks Dick." There was a moment of silence before Dick spoke again.

"What were you trying to say? You know, before you started choking?"

"Oh, right! I was trying to say "how's it going?"."

"I think I'm almost done," Dick answered, blue eyes narrowing with intense concentration. The Watchtower was fairly difficult to hack in the first place, and the computer and his mission didn't help any; sending a frequency through the Watchtower was much more difficult than getting in, surprisingly. That, and he had to make sure that everyone was _in _the Watchtower in the first place; he'd had to manually send a signal calling Batman and Flash up to League headquarters.

He pressed a few more keys, the light taps filling the tense air; they were so, so close to going home. It seemed almost unbelievable now that the moment was near, surprisingly; if it weren't for the buzz of anticipation coursing through him, making his heart race and thoughts jumble together, Dick would've wondered if this was all a dream, a fantasy his mind had created to please him. But it wasn't, and that knowledge was enough to make his blue eyes a little bit brighter, put a tiny bit of color back into his pale cheeks. It made him look alive again, as if his previous look had been a mere shadow of his true appearance.

The final key was pressed, and Dick glanced up at Wally. "Finished," he announced, muscles tightening in anticipation.

Wally grinned, the expression brightening his chocolate-smeared face considerably. He downed the last of his hot chocolate before wiping the crumbs off. "Let's go home," he said.

* * *

The comm unit in his ear buzzed, the subtle vibration alerting him to a message from the Watchtower. Bruce scowled, fingers reaching up to press the button. Static filled the link, and his scowl deepened into something closer to a full-out glare. He pressed the button again. "Batman to Watchtower," he tried. Still, there was nothing but static.

Already in his uniform, Bruce just had to pull the familiar cowl over his head. He moved quickly over to the zeta tubes in the Batcave; normally, he didn't zeta directly to the Watchtower from here, but moments like these were the exception. It generally wasn't a good thing if he received a signal from Justice League headquarters, but received no verbal explanation. Bruce was already pulling a batarang out of his belt when the yellow light enveloped him.

Bruce was in the Watchtower a few seconds later, his form materializing quickly. The white lenses of his cowl narrowed into dangerous slits as he stepped onto the tiled floor of the Watchtower; nothing seemed wrong so far. No alien invaders, no super-villains, no roaring flames…why had he been called, then? He stalked over to the monitor womb, where Superman should be on duty.

The Kryptonian looked up, slight surprise flitting across his face before his blue eyes focused. "Batman? What-" he started, but was cut off.

"I received an emergency signal from the Watchtower," Batman growled, slipping the batarang back into the yellow belt; it was obvious at this point he wouldn't need it. "Explain."

Superman frowned, brows creasing in subtle confusion. He was saved from saying anything (it was clear he had no idea why Batman had received the signal) by the arrival of Flash. The familiar blur and rush of wind settled into the outline of the Scarlet Speedster. "Superman, what's the problem?" he demanded, looking tense and unusually on edge.

Superman shook his head, now bewildered. "Someone must have sent out an emergency signal," he explained to the best of his ability. "I don't-" He stopped speaking abruptly, hands flying up to clutch his head as a grimace of pain twisted his face.

Batman tensed and Flash's eyes narrowed, the former taking a step closer to the pained Kryptonian. What was going on? Superman's hands dropped back down a few seconds later, though the grimace lingered. "Superman, what happened?" Batman asked, voice dangerously low.

"Don't know…high-pitched…noise…" the alien managed, eyes squeezed shut. Really, considering the fiery spikes of pain shooting through his skull, it was impressive he had managed to say that much.

Batman wasted no time in moving over to the computer, typing quickly and pulling up the security system. "Someone is sending an unknown frequency through the Watchtower satellite," he informed, the growl in his voice becoming more prominent. As quickly as it happened, it ended, Superman's eyes blinking open. He winced as he straightened back up, head still throbbing, but on a level he could deal with.

The computerized voice called out two names no one expected to hear:

_Robin B-01, Kid Flash B-03._

Batman and Flash's eyes widened simultaneously, and the two raced over to the zeta tubes at nearly the same speed.

* * *

Once in an alleyway, Wally grabbed Dick. "Where's the closest zeta tube?" he asked. It would be best just to zeta up to the Watchtower; there, they could finally see Batman and Flash again. Dick thought for a moment that seemed much longer than it actually was. "Orlando," he answered, brain somehow pulling up that memory. Wally nodded, pulling his goggles out of his pocket (they were a bit scratched, but still there) and placing them quickly over his eyes. He adjusted his grip on Dick, making sure his best friend wouldn't fly out of his arms while they were running; that had been funny in hindsight, but they had both agreed not to try that again.

Wally started running, the wind tugging at his hair as the world blurred around him. His feet pounded against the ground and his heart started to beat faster as he slipped into super-speed for the first time in what felt like forever. Ignoring the possibility of getting bugs in his teeth, the speedster grinned, elation screaming in his veins. It had been far too long since he had been able to do this, to _really_ run. His destination only made the moment all the sweeter, and Wally ran even faster, ignoring the hunger that quickly filled him.

He was in Orlando in mere moments, trying desperately not to trip and face-plant into the pavement as he skidded to a halt near where he hoped the zeta-tubes were. He managed to stay upright, though he could tell the rubber soles of his sneakers had started to melt, smoking lightly; civilian clothes were not well-suited to super speed.

"Where are the zeta tubes?" he asked quickly, having to remind himself repeatedly to speak slow enough to be understandable.

Dick glanced around, taking in his surroundings with a careful look. "It's just a few streets over," he answered, slipping out of Wally's arms and dropping neatly on to the ground. They started walking, each foot feeling like a yard, each yard like a mile. Distance and time seemed to work against them, making it seem much longer than it really was. They arrived at the zeta tube, disguised as a battered telephone box. Dick reached out, grabbing Wally's hand as they stepped inside. The speedster gave his best friend a reassuring smile as the camera scanned them.

_Robin B-01, Kid Flash B-03._

They were soon in the Watchtower, looking at the achingly familiar figures of their mentors. The two boys spoke simultaneously.

"Bruce!"

"Barry!"

* * *

The two familiar figures solidified, Dick and Wally become recognizable. Wally had barely enough time to get out his uncle's name before Barry had raced over, enveloping his nephew in a tight, bone-crushing hug that the redhead returned eagerly. Wally felt sudden tears prick his eyes, and he struggled to blink them back, burying his face in the red material of Barry's costume. "Wally," the elder speedster murmured, voice choked and full of emotion. His arms tightened around his nephew, as if afraid he would disappear again if he let go.

"C'mon, Uncle Barry," Wally gasped out. "I can't…breathe."

Barry loosened his hold, but only slightly. Despite Wally's automatic, light-hearted attempt at humor, he could hear the shaky relief in the ginger's voice. Anger boiled in Barry's veins just at the thought of who could've made his nephew scared enough to feel that way, but he shoved it aside, focusing on his relief for now. "I'm so sorry, Wally," he said, words pouring out of him in a rush. "I should've been able to find you, I should've done something more."

"It's not your fault, Uncle Barry," Wally assured, words slightly muffled as he pressed his face into the speedster's chest. The tears finally spilled over, a few salty drops trickling down his cheeks and dampening the spandex of Barry's costume. "Cadmus said they would kill you if we tried to c-come home," he explained, voice starting to shake again. "I-I couldn't r-risk letting that h-happen."

"It's okay, Wally," Barry broke in, his voice shaking as bad as Wally's at this point. "They're not going to hurt you or anyone else." He would personally rip Cadmus apart, brick by brick, for what they had done. If they ever tried it again…well, needless to say, they would soon regret it.

Wally allowed himself to believe that for the first time in what felt like forever, accepting his uncle's comfort easily. He needed to hear that; he needed someone to protect him. So what if that sounded weak? He'd had to protect Dick, only to lose him, then protect Hope, only to lose her and get Dick back; but even then, Dick wasn't the same. He was sadder, emptier…he wasn't the same boy that had sacrificed himself so Wally and Hope could get out.

All the grief, all the pain, that Wally had felt over the past…what felt like a _year, _slowly started to seep away, helping by Barry's touch. His façade crumbled, and more tears streamed out as his arms tightened around his uncle. "I missed you, Kid," Barry whispered.

"I missed you, too, Uncle Barry," Wally murmured, voice hoarse and full of tears.

Bruce, on the other hand, didn't even have much of a chance to run over to his adoptive son; Dick practically leapt into his arms. He frowned at the boy's appearance even as his arms wrapped around him instinctively; thick black stitches ran up his arms and on his chest, visible through the tattered Flash t-shirt. A bruise darkened the skin under his right eye, and his skin was pale. His small frame was even thinner than normal, almost painfully so, and his blue eyes were filled with tears.

Dick was shaking, tremors coursing through his body as he pressed himself closer to the man he considered his father. "Bruce," he gasped out, fingers clutching the Kevlar material in a death grip. He had been convinced he would never see the man again for a while; to have him here, finally…it nearly overwhelmed the small boy. Harsh sobs slipped out, making his shoulders shake all the more. Bruce's grip tightened, and he rubbed Dick's back soothingly. "Shh, Dickie-bird," he comforted, voice softer and gentler than anyone in the League had ever heard it. "It's alright, you're safe now. I'm right here, chum."

He had been scared that he would never see his son again too, and there was a relieved edge in the air around the Dynamic Duo. "I-I was s-so scared, Bruce," Dick said between sobs, burying his face in his guardian's shoulder. "I th-thought I w-would never s-see y-you again."

"I wouldn't ever let that happen, Dick," Bruce promised immediately. "I'd always come find you."

"H-he said he would k-kill y-you if I e-ever saw y-you again," Dick continued, voice broken and haunted. Bruce's eyes narrowed; whoever this man was, he would regret ever laying a hand on his son. If he didn't have a no-kill rule…well, let's just say he was lucky to suffer the fate of a six-month body cast.

"I promised I wouldn't leave you, Dickie-bird," Bruce reminded. "I'm not going to break that promise."

Dick was still shaking, tears flowing freely down his pale cheeks, but he felt at least a slight bit of the pain he was feeling wash away. He was nowhere close to being completely better, and he doubted he would be anytime soon, but he knew that he would get there eventually. Bruce wouldn't let anything happen to him. For the first time in a long time, Dick was able to relax.

He was home.

* * *

**A/N **I'm honestly not sure about how well this turned out. There are just so many ways I could have written this...I had to force myself to finally post this before I scrapped it and started over _again. _If it's terrible, let me know; I can always rewrite it if that's the case. Hopefully, you guys liked this though.

Next chapter will probably be a mixture of them actually going home, and then meeting up with the Team and Roy. Don't quote me on that. ;) There's only one or two chapters left of this story, guys. I can't believe it's gotten as far as it has; thank you so much for all of the support!

I'm still working towards getting 500 reviews before it ends; please help me out! ;)

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

Guest that reads: I will definitely help you in going after him. ^^ You know, if he wasn't dead, lol. There was some FatherSon fluff in this; I hope you enjoyed!

Bobby Corwen: The psychological effects are actually really fun to write, lol. ;) I'm glad I'm really incorporating them into the story. I'm going to have them meet up with the Team and Roy next; as for reactions to details about the torture...if I don't find a way to put it in this, it will be in the sequel, I promise. I'm not going to miss that opportunity for protective daddy-fluff, lol. Thanks for the review!

fanficfantasies: Dick just barely made it. ;) And yeah, they just zeta'd on in...it was easier that way, lol. Thanks for the review!

please update g: Tell Molly I said hi, lol. You can put the batarangs away; I updated. ;) Hope you enjoyed!


	29. Healing

**A/N **Surprisingly, the Team didn't end up making an appearance in this chapter; they will in the next one though, I promise. We do have Iris and Alfred though. ^^

**Disclaimer **The only characters I semi-own are dead...

~Aiva

* * *

Wally would've been content to stay like that for hours, Barry's arms tight around him. He knew he would have to leave eventually…but he hated the thought of ruining this moment. Barry managed to give him the motivation to do so, however. "C'mon, Kid," he said, pulling gently away. "Iris has been worried sick."

Wally's emerald eyes widened comically at the mention of his aunt, and a wide grin spread across his face. Aunt Iris would probably kill him later for being gone so long (some protective motherly instincts stayed no matter what the situation was), but it was totally worth it to see her again. Barry chuckled at his nephew's expression, though a similar grin was on his own face.

Wally paused suddenly, turning to shoot a concerned glance at Dick. Tears were still fresh on the younger boy's face, and he was clinging to Bruce like his life depended on it. Physical contact, like hugging, was often a source of comfort for him; the fact that he hadn't seen his adoptive father in what felt like months only made that even more obvious. Wally frowned; as much as the speedster wanted to go home, it felt wrong just to walk away from his best friend without so much as a word passing between them. They had been through a lot, supporting each other through it all, and Wally was still fully in his over-protective big brother mode. That meant he was at Dick's side in an instance. "Dick, I have to go-" he began.

Dick offered him a small smile that was surprisingly sincere. "I'm fine, Wally," he assured, though his voice was still hoarse.

"Are you sure?" Wally checked. "Because I'm not going anywhere if you aren't."

"I'm sure," Dick answered. "Tell Aunt Iris I said hi."

Wally grinned. "I will. Hey…call me, okay?"

Dick nodded, the corner of his lips quirking upward to form a slightly bigger smile. "You got it," he agreed, leaning his head back against Bruce's chest; it wasn't surprising the boy was tired. He hadn't gotten near enough sleep on the park bench, and was still recovering physically from the torture he had been put through. The mental trauma only served to heighten his exhaustion by putting him in a nearly constant state of at least slight paranoia.

Wally gave his best friend one last look, green eyes meeting blue; there was a whole conversation in that one look, not unlike the communication between Batman and Robin. They had been close before, but had bonded further due to trauma; they didn't need words to express their concern for each other. Wally finally nodded, taking a step backwards, closer to his uncle. "See ya, Dick," he said, voice uncharacteristically soft. The two speedsters then walked towards the zeta tubes and were soon enveloped in the familiar beams of yellow light.

They were in Central City a few moments later, not too far from their house. Barry glanced down at Wally, relief and concern still obvious in his blue eyes. "Wally…" he started, hesitating for a brief moment before continuing. "What did Cadmus do?"

Wally froze, seeming to take sudden interest in the crack in the pavement. "Uh, it's…a long story…" he explained, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Barry's expression hardened at the obvious attempt to avoid answering the question; Wally would usually rant about how dangerous it was, then mention it was cool and ask for something to eat. Even when he ended up in the hospital after a particularly dangerous mission, the kid had the ability to bounce back almost immediately. Whatever Cadmus had done to his boy had left a pretty big impact. "You know you can tell me," he reminded, voice gentle and reassuring.

Wally blinked, ignoring the sudden tears in his eyes again; he was determined not to cry again…once was enough, thank you. "I know," he said, voice taking on that quiet sound again. "It's just…not something I like to remember."

Barry stiffened at that response, anger swelling up inside of him again; Cadmus would pay dearly for this. He pushed it back for the moment, ruffling his nephew's fiery hair. A small grin formed on Wally's face at the familiar action, and he instinctively leaned into the affectionate touch. He took a deep breath, steadying himself; "I'll tell you when we see Aunt Iris, okay? She'll probably ask too, and I…I don't really want to say it more than once."

Barry nodded in understanding and placed a reassuring hand on Wally's shoulder, steering the teenager up to the door. Wally opened it without hesitation, rushing inside immediately.

Iris was just about finished cleaning the living room when she heard the front door open. She frowned; Barry shouldn't be home yet… Slightly confused and curiosity piqued, she glanced up. Her eyes widened as she saw the two figures standing near the door; Barry and _Wally. _There was a rush of wind, and Wally had soon wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Iris hugged him back just as tightly, pressing her lips against his head as all the stress from the past…over a _week _faded away. She started looking him over for injuries immediately, frowning when she noticed the faint bruises and the fact that he seemed thinner than before. And was it just her imagination, or had he grown during the time when he was gone?

Iris hugged her nephew even tighter, not caring that she was probably strangling him at this point. "Wally," she breathed, relief evident in her voice. "Are you hurt?" Despite her quick glance, she wanted to hear him say it himself.

"I'm okay, Aunt Iris," Wally assured, voice muffled; his face was partially buried in her shirt as he blinked back tears for the third time.

Iris squeezed him tighter in response until she pulled away to give him a slightly scolding look, protective motherly instincts appeased for the moment. "Wallace West, you had us worried sick," she chastised, though her green eyes were practically sparkling with the joy that came from seeing her boy again.

"Sorry," Wally mumbled as he sheepishly met her gaze. "It won't happen again, Aunt Iris, I promise."

Iris knew that he would probably break that promise as soon as he went out on patrol again, but that was just one of the consequences of being a hero; she was content with the fact that he was finally home for now.

The oven then beeped, and that's when Wally finally registered the familiar scent of cookies in the air. He beamed at his aunt, excitement clear on his freckled face. "You made cookies?" he checked happily.

Iris nodded, a smile spreading across her face at her nephew's exuberance. "Save some room for dinner!" she called out as he dashed over to the kitchen.

Barry followed, indignant. "Wally! Don't eat them all!" he ordered, attempting to pass the teenager in order to reach the cookies first. This soon turned into light, playful bickering that made Iris shake her head slowly as her smile grew.

That was more like it. The house finally felt like a home again; her boys were back.

* * *

Bruce could easily tell how exhausted his little bird was; the drooping eyes were a dead give-away. Completely ignoring the few League members there (it had been a slow day to begin with, and no one had wanted to interrupt the moment between the Dynamic Duo) he headed towards the zeta tubes, Dick held securely in his arms.

The acrobat managed to give a few of the Leaguers a small smile before they were gone, zeta'd down to the Batcave. Dick became a bit more alert as the familiar sight; the sounds of bats overhead, the steady hum of the computers…all of it was a sure sign that he was actually _home. _He was back, he was safe…Bruce wouldn't let anything happen to him again. That didn't mean he was willing to let go, though; right now, Bruce was almost like a security blanket. For a while, Dick had been convinced he would never see his adoptive father again, and that he would die in Cadmus. Having Bruce here now was an immense source of comfort, giving him a warm feeling he couldn't quite put words to.

Alfred, having impeccable timing as always, stepped into the Batcave at that moment. If he wasn't…well, Alfred, he surely would've dropped the silver tray he was carrying as he noticed Dick. As it was, his eyes widened slightly and the butler smiled. "My goodness," he said as he inhaled sharply in what was obvious surprise, "Master Dick!"

Dick decided he could let go of Bruce for a little bit (Bruce took the opportunity to quickly change into some civilian clothes). He dropped to the floor lightly, wincing a little as the movement tugged at his stitches. He ignored the flare of pain, hugging the British gentleman tightly. Alfred's arms were placed around him in return. "Alfred!" Dick said, voice quiet but full of deep emotion. "I missed you…" He was sure he was about to cry again; this was what he had been working for. Being here, reunited with his family.

"And I you, Master Dick," Alfred replied, accent familiar and reassuring to the small boy. There was an unmistakable note of relief and pleasure in his voice, and he found himself looking over Dick carefully, feeling very much like a protective grandfather. A disapproving frown entered his eyes when he noticed the thick black stitches, the pale hue of Dick's skin, the ribs sticking out more than usual. The stitches, though rushed, seemed well-done and weren't infected at least. All the boy really needed was a few big meals and a good night's rest.

Dick pulled away after a moment, moving back to Bruce's side. "I daresay this moment calls for some hot chocolate," Alfred said, noting how Dick's eyes lit up at the thought. A slight smile tugging at his lips, he exited the Batcave to go prepare that and dinner; Dick needed the food.

Bruce glanced down at Dick, placing a reassuring hand on his head. "Why don't you get cleaned up before dinner, chum," he suggested.

Dick glanced up at him before slowly nodding, though his hands tightened their grip on the fabric of Bruce's shirt. Bruce, sensing Dick's reluctance to leave him, picked him up easily, noting how much lighter he was now. Dick snuggled into the embrace immediately and found himself drifting off to sleep as they walked upstairs and towards his room. Dick jerked back awake when the door shut, and hesitantly slipped out of Bruce's arms again. He paused, unwilling to leave the man's side for more than a few seconds. A quick shower would last much longer than that…honestly, Dick was scared to walk away; he had a sudden, irrational fear that if he did, he might not see Bruce again. He knew that that wasn't true, but it didn't stop his heart from racing at the thought.

Bruce let out a small sigh, tossing Dick a shirt and some jeans. He could practically feel the boy's apprehension, and kneeled down in order to look him in the eye. "I'll be waiting right out here, Dick," he promised.

Dick stared at him for a moment, blue eyes studying his face intensely before he slowly nodded. He stepped into the bathroom and turned on the water. The icy cold spray struck the exposed skin on his forearms and he shivered, from more than just the cold. The sensation of cold water against his skin brought back unpleasant memories of nearly drowning multiple times in Cadmus; Dick could help but stumbling backwards, struggling to shove the memories away.

He was fine, he could handle this; it was just a shower, for pete's sake! The thought of getting under the water though actually scared him; the liquid smothering him, leaving him gasping for breath…his mind seemed determined to make everything once normal another painful reminder. Dick turned the shower off with shaking fingers, elbow accidentally hitting the wall and producing a rather loud _thump! _Dick actually jumped a little at the unexpected noise, breath catching in his throat.

Bruce frowned as he heard the noise, followed by silence. Worry started coursing through him immediately, and he knocked on the door, silently praying that Dick was okay. The boy opened the door, pale-faced and trembling slightly. Bruce wasted no time in gathering him up into another hug, offering silent comfort. Dick took in a deep breath in an attempt to steady himself. "Sorry," he whispered. "I guess I freaked out…the water reminded me…of…" he broke off, not entirely ready to continue.

Bruce's frown deepened into a near scowl. "Dick, what happened at Cadmus?" he asked, having to consciously remind himself to keep his voice as gentle as possible.

Dick froze, blue eyes widening slightly as his hands clenched into tight fists, his fingernails actually threatening to leave imprints in his palm. If he didn't talk about it now, he would just have to talk about it later; Bruce wasn't one to give up on an answer. It wasn't that Dick didn't want to tell him; he just didn't want to have to relive it again. Telling Wally was painful enough, and the boy knew telling a second person wouldn't be much better. Then again, maybe talking with Bruce would help some; he had helped Dick get over his parents' deaths, after all.

Dick took in a shaky break, mouth suddenly dry. Bruce arm's tightened around him in response. "You don't have to tell me now," he reminded.

Dick shook his head. "No…I need to do this. You have to know eventually…" There was a heavy silence before Dick started. "I guess…I guess you know how I got kidnapped from the mission reports. Wally _tried _to rescue me…managed to get Conner out anyway." Dick looked up at his father, already having to blink back tears. "Bruce, he knows who I am…he knows who _you _are. I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't be," Bruce interrupted. "Dick, this isn't your fault. None of this is."

Dick nodded, though he still looked unconvinced and shaky. Mustering the courage to continue, he spoke again. "Wally was stuck down there with me…Cadmus wanted to turn us into their own personal soldiers. Remember those needle-tipped tasers I mentioned from when we first met Superboy? They…they used those a lot. They injected chemicals into our bloodstream, while electrically stimulating our muscles. It was…designed to enhance strength."

Bruce tensed. They had done _what?! _The one responsible for this was going to wish he had never been born; _no one _hurt his son and got away with it. It was then he noticed Dick was shaking again, the trembling somehow making him seem so much younger than he really was. He was only thirteen! He didn't deserve to go through all of this pain.

"They did some other stuff too," Dick whispered, blue eyes haunted. "We w-were about to escape when y-you showed up. W-we were so close to going home…" he struggled to stop the unmistakable quiver in his voice. "He said he would kill you if we tried to see you again. I-I couldn't risk letting that happen. I can't lose another dad."

Tears were really threatening to spill over then, and Dick swallowed hard past the lump in his throat. "Who is 'he'?" Bruce asked, eyes narrowing. Dick had yet to mention a name, and Bruce needed to know exactly who to put in a body cast.

Dick's voice was quiet as he answered. "Dr. Anthony Lawrence." As if sensing Bruce's thoughts, he forced himself to continue. "He's dead now, Bruce."

Bruce didn't miss the flare of guilt in Dick's eyes as he said this, and the billionaire's blood ran cold. He…hadn't killed him, had he? Had Cadmus pushed him that far?

"I-I'll get to that part in a minute," Dick said, voice continuing to drop in volume. "We got out, but we couldn't…well, you know why we ran. We were on the run for a while; Cadmus tried to get us back a couple of times. We needed to know how he planned on…killing…everyone. So we broke into an undercover branch of Cadmus. The information we needed was in another lab…in Florida. That's when things started to go bad. Wally was a d-distraction." By this point, his voice was shaking again, the nervous stutter a clear sign of how scared he had been. He struggled to stop it, but only managed to make it less noticeable.

"He found a Cadmus experiment, a little girl named Hope. Wally couldn't get all of us out, and we couldn't leave her behind…so I t-told him to go without me. He didn't really have a choice. I was knocked out, and woke up alone on an examination table."

Dick's face paled until it was almost literally as white as a sheet. The barely contained tears started to trickle down his cheeks. Bruce tightened his grip, and Dick sank into the comforting embrace. "Dr. A-Anthony Lawrence c-came in. H-he convinced me that Wally had…d-died. I wanted t-to just g-give up; you weren't g-going to f-find me, and W-Wally wasn't c-coming either. I just…I c-couldn't see why I should f-fight anymore."

Bruce's face now had a full out DaddyBats glare etched onto it as his hear ached for his son. Frankly, Dr. Anthony Lawrence was lucky he was already dead. He rubbed comforting circles on Dick's back, noticing how he was shaking much more than before. Judging by the stitches on his arms and chest, it hadn't been very long ago. Bruce honestly wished he could go back in time and stop Dick from ever leaving.

"The o-only thing that k-kept me g-going was that I knew Wally w-wouldn't want to g-give up. It w-was hard though…especially when _he _came back. First it was knives." Dick's fingers unconsciously moved towards his other arm as he spoke, running over the stitches lightly. "Then…it was w-water torture. I-I really th-thought I was going to d-die, Bruce. I w-was so scared…I didn't w-want to die, n-not down there."

Dick couldn't go on for a moment, overwhelmed by the painful memories. He took a shaky breath, burying his face in Bruce's shoulder. At that moment, Bruce didn't care if this Dr. Anthony Lawrence was dead. He would bring the man back, just to kill him again…this time slowly and painfully.

"I n-nearly froze to d-death after that. A-and then…he made me w-watch them d-die. Wally and m-my parents, o-over and over again. I w-wanted…to give up again." A small sob slipped out, and his fingers clutched the fabric of Bruce's shirt tighter. "W-when Wally came, I d-didn't think it was real. I…I thought it w-was just something e-else to t-torture me. He convinced m-me it was really h-him, and we tried t-to get out. We were surrounded… Hope s-sacrificed herself t-to get us o-out."

Dick hadn't really known her, but those few seconds he had been with her was enough to make his heart ache. The worst part was having to watch Wally's eyes widened in desperate horror, forced to run as she burned…Dick was sure it resembled the expression he had when he had watched his parents fall; lost and heartbroken, unsure of how you could ever go on with your shattered life.

"W-we got o-out, but…" he trailed off for a moment. "There a-are nano-bots inside you, by the way," he whispered, voice muffled. "I deactivated them, but you should probably get them out."

Bruce's eyes widened fractionally before he pulled his son closer; Dr. Anthony Lawrence was smart, no doubt. "It's alright, Dickie," he soothed, rocking back and forth subtly in an effort to calm the broken child. "You're safe now, I promise. It's over, chum."

Dick didn't respond other than to tighten his grip; Bruce was wrong. It wasn't over. Dick wondered if it ever would be…these scars weren't exactly ones that would disappear, and as long as they hurt, it would never be truly over. Sure, he had been through torture before, and had pretty much recovered each time. But Dick had gone through those knowing Bruce would be coming for him. He hadn't known that this time; actually, he was sure he'd never be found. That made every cut, every bruise, much more painful, to the point it was almost unbearable. It was no wonder Dick felt broken.

Alfred cleared his throat, and Dick actually flinched at the unexpected noise. His tense muscles relaxed fractionally when he recognized the butler. Judging by the look in his eyes, he had probably heard most of that. Dick accepted the proffered cup of hot chocolate, the rich scent helping to comfort him some. "Thanks, Alfred," he whispered, voice even more hoarse than before.

"You are quite welcome, Master Dick," Alfred responded. Dick offered him a small smile, which looked rather amusing because of the chocolate mustache now on his upper lip. Alfred chuckled and handed him a napkin. "I suggest getting clean before dinner," he added lightly. Dick tensed, glancing up at Bruce before relaxing again. He could do this…right? He felt like some of the weight had been lifted off of his shoulders after talking to Bruce, anyway. He pulled himself away from his adoptive father; he would be okay. Maybe he wouldn't ever heal completely, but he wouldn't let these memories control him.

He would be okay.

* * *

**A/N **I was reading about water torture...apparently, this is actually one of the psychological after-effects that can happen. I wanted to incorporate some of that, so...there you go. ^^

Oh, and I didn't come up with the nano-bot idea. I just got it from Teen Titans (you know, the episodes with Slade making Robin his apprentice? Yeah, those.) I just thought I should mention that, lol.

I...I think the next chapter might be the last one, guys. I can't believe this has gotten as far as it has; I even reached 500 reviews! (Thank you so much, guys!) I'm sad that it's almost over...at least we have the sequel, right? I don't know when exactly that will be up, but it shouldn't be too long (under six months, probably). I'll let you know, though.

Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Mailbag**

please update g: Don't worry, it's not the end. ^^ Even after this is technically over, you should still have the sequel to look forward too; that should include a lot of the psychological things.

Boltreader: Thanks! :D

Guest that reads: I think Bruce just enjoys putting criminals in 6 month body casts, lol. ;) Thanks for the review!

Guest: Thank you so much! :D I'm glad you liked it; and you will see their reactions next chapter, I promise. ^^

fanficfantasies: Yeah, I didn't think it was the best one either...-sigh- I didn't think writing those scenes would be so hard, lol. Thanks for the review!

Brightpath: Wow, done that quickly? Impressive; I'm glad you liked it enough to read it for that long, lol. ;) Thanks for the review!


	30. Denouement

**A/N **Wow...this is officially the last chapter. I can't believe this is actually over; it's been nearly four months since I started 'Fugitive'. Thank you all so much for helping me to get this far!

**Disclaimer **I only own the plot; everything else isn't mine.

~Aiva

* * *

It had only been a few days since his son had gotten back, and frankly, Bruce wasn't willing to let Dick step foot outside the manor ever again. The last time he had, after all, Dick had gotten kidnapped…he would try to bench him from being Robin too, but Bruce still remembered what had happened the last time he tried that. It had ended with Dick going out on his own, and nearly dying after a run-in with Killer Croc. Bruce had promised never to do that again. So he was stuck with simply being as protective as possible.

The most he had done was let Dick visit Central for a day, and that was because he had asked for Wally during a particularly bad nightmare about Cadmus. Bruce wasn't going to lie; it had hurt that _his son _had asked for someone else; Bruce was used to being his source of comfort during those nighttime terrors. They had a bond of trust and understood love…but it did make sense. After all, Wally had been there…

Wally had been there when Bruce wasn't. And that hurt Bruce most of all.

Despite all of that, Dick had managed to convince his adoptive father to let him see the Team. They had to have been worried, and Dick had decided he was ready to deal with the questions that would surely follow. Besides, he needed some sense of normalcy again; maybe it would help him deal with the aftermath of the whole Cadmus incident.

As much as he hated to admit it, the only reason Bruce was letting him go was because of Wally. Yes, because of that hyperactive speedster he had doubted would ever learn the definition of responsibility; Wally, surprisingly, had become very responsible and - dare he say it? - mature recently. There was no doubt in Bruce's mind that Wally would die before he let something happen to Dick…that didn't mean Bruce wouldn't be watching from the shadows though. He wasn't _that _willing to let Dick out of his sight.

Dick put the familiar reflective sunglasses on his face, adjusting the green hoodie he was wearing to make sure it covered the obvious black stitches on his arms; he didn't need to be asked about _those_ yet for sure. He couldn't handle telling another person the full story about Cadmus; he had made the story as short as possible when he was telling Bruce, giving as little details as he could. Dick stepped up to the zeta tube, giving his adoptive father a reassuring smile. _I'm fine, Bruce, _his blue eyes silently said.

Bruce frowned, pulling on his cowl. He was still going, and Dick wasn't exactly arguing; he still wanted his father nearby, after all. The idea that he might never see him again hadn't completely faded.

The zeta beam cloaked them, outlining their bodies in a distinct yellow as they transported to Mount Justice.

The moment Dick stepped out of the zeta tube, he was pulled into a bone-crushing hug. Adrenaline seeped through his veins and his instincts screamed at him to pull away and fight before Dick recognized it was M'gann. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, and his thin arms hesitantly hugged her back.

"Robin!" M'gann cried, excitement clear in her voice as she finally let go of her teammate. Her amber eyes were practically glowing with excitement, and a wide grin was obvious on her face.

"Hey, M'gann," Dick coughed out, lungs still recovering from the tight hug; it definitely hadn't helped his stitches. He managed to give his familiar smirk as the rest of the team joined them.

Artemis was the next to pull Dick into a hug, though she was considerably gentler than M'gann, probably noticing the way he had winced. "Good to have you back," she grinned.

"Good to be back," Dick responded, smirk growing as he became more comfortable with his strong façade.

"I am glad to see you are alright," Kaldur said, looking as if the weight of the world had just been lifted off of his shoulders. His pale eyes glanced at Dick as if he was silently assuring himself that he was indeed fine. It wasn't hard to tell that Kaldur had blamed himself for Dick's capture, and by extent, everything else.

"Please," Dick scoffed, "It'd take a lot more than that to keep me down." He internally flinched at the words, remembering the sense of dark hopelessness that he had felt while in Cadmus…he had barely made it out. He shook off that thought, forcing the smirk on to his face again. He could deal with the scars afterwards; there was _no way _he would break down in front of the Team.

His blue eyes flitted over to Conner, who was standing nearby, staring at the floor awkwardly. Guilt flashed across his features, and Dick pulled away to stand next to the clone. "It wasn't your fault," he assured, having an idea what was bugging him, "I told you to go ahead. You didn't know we wouldn't follow. There wasn't anything you could do."

"I should've done _something," _Conner muttered, not convinced. He could have stayed and protected them, he could've tried harder to get out or…well, he could've done something differently. It was his fault that Robin and Wally had been stuck in Cadmus for so long.

"There wasn't anything to do," Dick argued. "A smart man once told me we can't live in the past. We can't go back and change our actions, we can only deal with them. It wasn't your fault, Conner. So start being more whelmed, okay?"

Conner couldn't exactly stop the smile that tugged on the corners of his lips. "Right. Feeling the aster," he responded, eliciting a small cackle out of their youngest teammate.

_Kid Flash B-03. _The announcement only added to energy already in the air, and Wally was in the Cave seconds later, and was immediately swarmed by teammates. M'gann was talking cheerfully about the cookies that she had just made while Artemis threatened to shove an arrow into his empty skull if he tried something like that again. Kaldur's concern and pleasure was shown through a much quieter gesture similar to the greeting he had given Dick.

Wally grinned, flirting with M'gann while agreeing to eat the cookies, teasing Artemis for actually being worried about him, and assuring Kaldur he was fine. He managed to pull himself away and walk towards Dick, ruffling the acrobat's hair lightly. "Hey, Rob. Hey, Supey," he greeted, quickly assessing his best friend. He was a bit pale, but that wasn't exactly abnormal lately. He did look a bit stressed, but not enough to have Wally concerned.

Dick moved instinctively closer to Wally, relaxing subtly as he did so. Wally responded by wrapping a casual arm around his best friend's shoulders and turning to face Conner.

"Hey, Wally," Conner said, offering the speedster a smile that was considerably larger than before; Dick's reassurances had definitely helped with the sickening emotions that had been plaguing the clone.

Any response Wally might have made was cut off by another arrival being announced through the Cave speakers. _Red Arrow B-06. _

Wally and Dick looked at each other before identical looks of excitement lit up their faces and they ran over to the zeta tube. They wasted no time in tackling the ginger archer, despite his protests.

"Roy," Dick mumbled, wrapping his arms around his "big brother's" chest. He may be able to fool the Team with his brave front, but Roy had known him too long to be deceived by that. Roy could easily tell how pale Dick was, and the fact that both he and Wally were thinner than they used to be. Despite the excitement on both of their faces, their eyes contained so much hurt that it nearly made Roy sick. _Cadmus is going to regret ever touching my little brothers, _he growled mentally. He would fight Bats to get to them if he had to.

He wrapped strong arms around both of them, somehow managing to get to his feet despite their combined weight. "I swear, you're going to be the death of me one day," he scolded lightly, unable to put an actual admonishing edge in his voice. "You two need to stop being kidnapped."

"Dude!" Wally protested, voice muffled slightly from Roy's shirt; he had buried his own face there soon after tackling the archer. "That is _so _not our fault!"

"Yeah, whatever," Roy responded, rolling his eyes slightly as his grip on them tightened. "Just don't do it again."

"We won't," Dick promised immediately, unable to stop the shiver that raced down his spine at the thought. He didn't know how he would deal with it if Cadmus captured him again…that would be like a nightmare come to life, some twisted illusion brought on by Scarecrow's fear gas.

Roy sensed the way the mood darkened and nudged Dick with his arm. "I won't let them get you," he assured quietly.

Wally suddenly pulled away, eyes narrowed accusingly. "Yeah, you even sent an assassin after us last time," he remembered. "So, Roy…how well do you know Cheshire, exactly?"

Roy started to sputter, face turning red as he struggled – and failed – to piece together a coherent response. Artemis didn't seem to be handling the news any better, gray eyes wide as she glared at the archer, mouth opening and closing without forming words. She silently promised herself to go have a serious talk with her sister the next time she had the chance; Jade could do _much_ better than Roy Harper.

Dick couldn't help it. He started to laugh, an actual _laugh _that went on for at least five seconds. It wasn't forced and it wasn't just an amused snort; it was the first real laugh that Dick had given in a while.

Wally grinned, and he found himself thinking the same thing Dick had a few days ago, though he didn't know it. _He'll be okay._ They were screwed up, sure, but wasn't everyone screwed up some way or another in their line of work? It simply came with the job; they were heroes because they could deal with it, because they could still smile and laugh despite the horrors they might see. They could move on and live because the world needed them to.

They were both heroes. They could both move on. Wally knew this, but he hadn't really believed it…maybe they were just _too _screwed up after that. But now, Wally _could_ believe it; he knew they would both be okay. Somehow, they could both move past what Cadmus had done.

The scars would still be there, and it would definitely be something that would haunt them at night. But maybe, just maybe, the pain that went with those scars would fade.

All it took was a little time.

* * *

**A/N **I think it might be a bit rushed, but it took me forever to write this as it is. And I'm happy with the last few paragraphs, so...I'll leave it as it is. ;) Hope you guys liked it, and it was a satisfying ending.

Where did Bruce go in all of this? Eh, he went all Bats on them and disappeared somewhere; he's still keeping an eye on his boy though. ;)

Thank you again for all of the support you have given me; this is the first decent chapter story I've ever done, and I can't believe it's finally over. When I started it, I definitely didn't expect it to be this long, or this popular! Lol, seriously, thank you. I can't really list every single person who reviewed, simply because there are so many, but we can just imagine I did. ;)

I'll be letting you guys know whenever I have the sequel up!

Thank you for all of the reviews!

**Mailbag**

Brightpath: Well, you got to see a bit of the Team in this chapter. ^^ Thanks for the review!

Guest that reads: Oh, Satisfaction was such an amazing episode...I loved it. Thanks for the review!

fanficfantasies: Dick's going to be having a lot of issues...I'm glad you liked the side affect! I couldn't resist throwing that in. ;)

please update g: Don't be sad! There'll be plenty of action in the sequel, don't worry. ^^

Don'tWalkUpStairsBackwards: I don't want to believe it's the end either...I'm really glad you like it though. :) You definitely made my day with that review!

Guest: Thanks! There was happy reunion here, and there'll be plenty of action in the sequel. ^^


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